


stars may collide

by irieora



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Arranged Marriage, DC universe setting, Empress Krolia, Galra Keith (Voltron), Identity Issues, M/M, Minor Hunk/Shay (Voltron), Minor Keith/Lotor (Voltron), Pining, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Prince Keith (Voltron), Self-Worth Issues, Sheith Big Bang 2018, Shiro (Voltron)-centric, Teen Titans and Young Justice Inspired, minor allura/lance, mixed with VLD setting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2018-08-22
Packaged: 2019-06-30 22:53:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 23,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15761370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/irieora/pseuds/irieora
Summary: Shiro meets Keith the summer after his capture. He helps him with his powers, but they end up helping each other.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all of my friends who encouraged me and helped edit this story. The title is from the song "Come What May."
> 
> If you want to check out the wonderful artist Dani (the-squirrel queen, tumblr, DaSquirrelQueen, twitter) their adorable art appears in chapter 4. Thanks for partnering up with me for this big bang. It was my first one and it was really fun working with you.

Shiro was patrolling the city when he noticed a spaceship in the woods. He had been feeling restless since he had finished his morning training and there still hadn’t been any new missions. Surely, someone would have noticed a spaceship crash. A couple of trees were knocked over and the ground was disturbed around it, but no fire or other hazards. A being, he assumed alien, was attempting to stand up. Shiro sent an alert to the others that he may need backup in case the situation got dangerous.

He knelt down and reached out to them. “Are you alright?”

One moment, Shiro was holding the alien in his arms checking if he was okay and the next he was being kissed. He was startled when soft lips caught his. Despite having many fans no one dared to invade his personal space. Still, he closed his eyes and embraced the kiss until the being pulled back and stared at him.

“That was one way to say hello,” Shiro muttered, as he touched his lips. They tingled. He hoped that wasn’t some way aliens transferred diseases or mind control.

The being in question was an alien with light lilac skin and violet irises that glimmered like the stars. The alien was seemingly humanoid in all other matters. He was scantily clad in ways that would make most folks blush. Shiro tried to not let his eyes ogle the alien and looked respectfully just to the other’s ears.

“What do your kind say to greet one another?” the boy asked, tilting his head. His voice was raspy.

“It varies from country, but—You can speak English?” Shiro said, noticing his difference in language.

The other boy nodded. “We normally kiss to learn languages.”

“That’s convenient,” Shiro chuckled, he offered his hand. “I’m Shiro, by the way. We normally shake hands, but some countries bow and some others in Europe do kiss cheeks.”

“I’m K’thander,” the boy said, staring at the outstretched hand. He shook it with both hands slowly. Not flinching at the cold of Shiro’s prosthetic. “My mother tells me the Earth variant is Keith.” What an ordinary nickname, for someone so not.

“So what brings you all the way out here?” Shiro asked. “I imagine it’s very far. Is your spaceship okay?”

Keith paused as he surveyed his spaceship. He took a few steps forward when Shiro noticed his legs wobbling. He allowed him to lean on him for support. Shiro noticed the other’s frame felt toned despite being willowy and he came up to Shiro’s chin.

The other smiled appreciatively. “I think I’m still getting used to the gravity and atmosphere here. My planet, Daibazaal, has been at war and so I left to escape.” Keith admitted, sheepishly, “I’m normally a better pilot. I think the ship ran out of energy on the way here or one of the engines was already damaged.”

“I know someone who may be able to help you with your ship.”

“You’re surprisingly calm,” Keith said, watching him. “I thought aliens were shocking to Earthlings.”

Shiro shrugged. Stranger things have happened than another alien. “Other aliens have visited Earth before, but very few and most try to stay hidden.” Aliens weren’t a novel phenomenon and many had visited Earth over the years such as Martian Manhunter and Hawkgirl. Shiro himself was part alien. The other half he didn’t want to think about as much.

Snapping his head to the right, Shiro heard his team before he saw them. Keith followed his line of sight, which at first was just a few trees and bushes.

“We saw the alert go off and came as soon as we could,” Matt said, rushing over to him and then halting. He was his second-in-command of the team. Following him were Pidge, Hunk, and Lance. They were all dressed up in their disguises and armor.

Keith and the team stared at each other. Keith at their weapons and the team at the closeness to their leader. Shiro wondered how bad this looked. From the corner of his eye, he saw Keith reaching for the knife at his belt.

He stopped Keith’s hand before it reached the weapon. Keith glanced at him for an explanation. His hands were tense and resistant. Shiro wondered if he would have to use force if Keith tried to break free. “They’re my friends,” he explained. “They were just worried. I sent them for help.”

Keith peered back at them, calculating risks before he nodded and relaxed a smidge.  

"Who's the babe?" Matt asked, grinning retracting his staff. Hunk and Lance both had similar mischievous smirks.

Shiro glared at his friends. His body felt hot and he was hyper-aware of the sweat in his hand that was holding Keith’s. The other was still leaning on him for support.

“There’s a baby somewhere here?” Keith asked looking at the trees and plants.

“No he means you’re—” Shiro began explaining, but then felt flustered. He could feel the other team members smirking at him. “Well, the word isn’t used to mean a human child. It’s slang and colloquial.”

Keith still looked perplexed and earnest. “Then what did he mean colloquially?”

Shiro wanted to die or get rid of all his teammates and frame it as an accident. He scratched his neck and looked at his feet.

“I think you’re really attractive!” Matt said, finally saving him from his own embarrassment. Shiro needed to assign him a vacation in Hawaii.

The skin on Keith’s face darkened. Was that his form of blushing? Shiro found himself smiling. “Oh,” he responded, twiddling his fingers. “Thank you.”   

They crowded around the alien. Shiro pointed to each of them as he introduced them. “These are my friends Matt.” The sandy-haired man waved. “Pidge.” Matt’s sibling looked almost like a younger copy of their brother except shorter with glasses. They never grew as tall as their brother even after reaching adulthood. “Hunk.” He was big with dark skin and a kind face. “And Lance.” He was about Hunk’s height but lanky. His normally tan skin was disguised in blue.

Keith held out his hand to the others and imitated Shiro’s earlier gesture. "Hello, I’m K’thander. You can call me Keith." Matt took it first. Keith held on to it too long and shook it with too much vigor.

They flooded him with questions.

“What part of space do you come from?”

“Is lavender skin normal for aliens?”

“Can we run some tests on you?”

“What brings you to this part of the universe?”

Shiro felt a headache forming. “Enough. Give him some space. He’s still adjusting.”

Keith waved his hand at him. “It’s fine. I have many questions about Earth too.” He continued, “I’m from the Thizonian system. The color is common among my people. Tests might be fine if it’s safe and not too invasive.” He paused at the last question before repeating the same information that he told Shiro earlier.

His friends mulled over the information. Lance took a step forward to lean against Hunk and said, “You’re safe with us.”

“I can probably fix your ship,” Hunk said. He and Pidge were already eyeing it. Matt was barely keeping his sibling contained by holding a firm grip on their arm.

Shiro smiled to the other hoping to reassure him. “You probably can’t find a better pair than those two. Hunk’s a technopath and Pidge can fix anything.”

“I’m also a tech genius,” Matt said, coughing into his hand.

"So, what do you all do here?" Keith asked, eyeing their weapons. “I thought Earth was a peaceful planet. It’s supposed to be level 3.”

“Level 3?”

“Each planet has different levels depending on their level of danger relative to the rest of the universe,” Keith explained, tapping his hand against his cheek. “This is a term used by the Guardians of the Universe and the Green Lantern Corps. Level 3 indicates planets that are adjusting to being apart of intergalactic systems outside of their own galaxies.”

He glanced curiously at them again. “Is dressing for combat the norm?”

“We fight crime and save people from the bad guys,” Lance said, puffing up his chest. “No big deal.”

“We fight crime,” Pidge interjected. “You just flirt with pretty girls.”

“Hey, I save lives too.” Pidge snorted and Matt chuckled at him. “Hey, why are you laughing? Stop ignoring me.”

“I think you’re a hero,” Hunk said, placing a hand on his friend’s shoulder, but Lance was still glaring at Pidge.

"Some of the reasons we help out is because we have abilities greater than average humans," Matt explained. “They can come from many sources like metahuman DNA.”

“So you’re like the police?” Keith asked. “Who are you protecting people from?”

“We’re more like vigilantes,” Pidge corrected, as they adjusted their glasses. “We’re a part of a superhero team called Voltron. We started working more with the government, but we normally don’t report to them. We fight other metahumans and anyone who might hurt the people of this city.”

Shiro felt Keith tensed against him. The other was frowning and his brows furrowed. “Are the criminals here that dangerous?”

“Maybe we should explain when we get back to the base?” Hunk suggested. “Where there’s air conditioning. It’s getting pretty hot.”

“I’ll contact Allura and Coran about our new guest.” Shiro could hear the grin in Matt’s voice.

 

#### **

 

Their base was located in relative seclusion in the forest and by a part of the beach which was warded off from the public. They had enough distance to train and were close enough to enjoy the city.

Hunk was levitating Keith’s ship to their base.

Matt rode his motorcycle with Keith holding on to him. He didn’t look fazed by the speed and seemed to encourage Matt to go faster. Pidge drove their motorcycle and kept their distance to a similar speed as their brother. Lance flew right next to Shiro and kept his transformation with blue covering his face and the rest of his body.

“Do you think we should report this to Superman or Batman?” Lance asked. He’d never met Shiro’s mentor but was always elated whenever any of the big three Justice League members were mentioned. “You know in case they give us a medal for being good intergalactic diplomats.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. I’ll mention it in my reports. I don’t think Superman will care if there’s another alien on Earth if they’re friendly.” Lance didn’t press the issue, but he didn’t have to turn around to know his friend was pouting.

When they arrived, Coran, Shay, and Allura were all waiting outside. Lance’s disguise along with his form retracted into the scarab on his back. Shiro landed beside him as Hunk lowered the spaceship. Matt and Pidge parked their motorcycles right along the edge of the building. Keith got up from the motorcycle and glanced at the new people.

“Welcome,” Allura said, clasping her hands. She held a commanding presence in her white and pink armor, but that attire was casual for her. “It’s not every day another alien visits.”

Coran beamed beside her. He was Allura’s guardian and their mentor. He was also Altean like her but didn’t have powers. They both had sharp elven ears and colorful crescents under their eyes which were the only tell-tale factor of their alien heritage.

Shay waved at them and Keith mimicked her gesture. “Greetings.”

"Why are you in the Earth's solar system? Visiting? Exploration? Fun?" Allura questioned. Despite the buzz surrounding a new guest from outer space, she was his co-captain, so she also was in charge of making sure everyone was safe.

Keith repeated more or less the same information. “My planet’s been at war, so I left to seek asylum here. I hope that’s fine with you.”

“I think it should be alright. We have plenty of room here,” Shiro said, and then looked to the rest of his teammates. “I wanted to check if that was okay with the rest of you.”

They all had varying levels of excitement. “We wouldn’t turn down someone in need of help,” Coran said, motioning him inside. “I know just the cuisine that’ll make you feel right at home.”

Shay and Matt glanced at each other. “We’ll get a room prepared for you.”

Pidge and Hunk led Keith to the garage where they tinkered on tech. Lance followed them as he looked up tourist attractions to introduce.

Shiro was about to follow them to the garage when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

“What kind of alien is he?” Allura asked when Keith was out of hearing range.

“I think he mentioned leaving Daibazaal.”

"He's Galra then," Allura murmured, frowning. She emphasized the word Galra with revolt. “Are you sure? Most are bigger and furrier.”

"So half-Galra." He wasn’t sure why he felt his gut coiling. ”He must be part of a different species.”

It did not alleviate her expression. “A halfbreed is hardly better.” Her body was shaking. Shiro reached out to comfort her, but he stopped when she glared back at him. “Shouldn’t you be more upset? Don’t you remember it was a Galra who took you from us? He could be compromising us right now.”

“Allura, calm down,” he said, inching toward her again. “Let’s talk this through.”

She glared at him. “Don’t tell me how to feel.”

She fled. Shiro stared at the spot where she was wondering if he should give her space or apologize. Then he heard her voice in the garage where Keith and the others were.  

 

#### **

 

All eyes turned toward Allura as she slammed the door open to the garage. "Leave. Your kind is not welcome here,” she declared. Most of the team were tense. Her glare was amplified by her powers, which changed her irises and pupils to a gleaming blue, stayed on their new guest.

Keith looked blankly at her, unsurprised. “That’s fine. I can leave.”

“No, it’s not fine,” Shiro interjected, and all eyes turned to him. “That goes against what our team stands for.”

“Hold on, what are you talking about?” Pidge asked, voicing what Hunk and Lance were thinking.

“He’s Galra,” Allura stated as if it was the obvious answer to everything. She grew agitated as she was met by her team’s confusion. “The same kind who captured Shiro. The same kind who destroyed my homeworld.”

“But aren’t we supposed to help people?” Hunk asked, his voice was loud but shaky in front of his two co-captains. “Isn’t that speciesist?”

Allura glowered at all of them as her powers slowly simmered down. She closed her eyes, but her hands remained in fists. “We can help repair your ship if you want, but the minute it’s finished you have to leave.” Lance took a small step toward her, but she stormed out of the room.

“I’m going to check in on her,” Lance commented, as he rushed after her.

Shiro placed a hand on the other’s shoulder causing Keith to tense. He withdrew it and let his arm hang awkwardly to his side. "Don’t let her get to you," Shiro said, watching his reaction. “You can stay as long as you need to. She's protective of her family. They're the only family she has since Altea was destroyed.”

Keith still held an aura of guilt, but he looked up at him pensive. “That makes sense since she’s Altean. I did wonder if she was one of the remaining few.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

He paused, pursing his lips. “She’s right. The Galra was one of the reasons for Altea’s destruction,” Keith responded, looking ashamed. “Or at least the old empire was.” His gaze shifted to where Hunk and Pidge were tinkering with his spaceship, though the two were still listening in. “Maybe it’s best I leave immediately.”

Shiro shook his head. “No--I mean, don’t let one opinion change your mind.”

“I’ve never seen Allura so upset,” Hunk agreed. “But we don’t think you should just leave.”

“Yeah, this might take a few weeks,” Pidge said inspecting the hood with Hunk. Their enthusiasm though got higher and higher with each repair noted. “I haven’t seen anything this high tech since Allura gave us a tour of her spaceship.”

Hunk held his hand over the machine. He closed his eyes and his hands emitted a yellow aura. “It feels structurally off.” He motioned for Pidge to type on their holoscreen.

“Thank you for helping me,” Keith said, as he observed them. “I’ll get out of your way as soon as I can.”

 

#### **

 

After an hour, Shay and Matt popped into the garage and led Keith to the room they prepared. They were both giving Keith the grand tour. Shiro heard Allura talking to Lance a half hour ago in the training room. It was only Allura in the training room now, so he knocked on the door despite it being unlocked.

“It’s me.”

He heard the sound of her hitting the punching bag. “Come in.”

She took a seat at one of the benches and Shiro sat down beside her. The halls of the indoor training room were a pure white and well air-conditioned. She drank water as she waited for him to speak.

“I shouldn’t have tried to tell you how to feel or dismiss it,” Shiro said, gathering his composure. “But you should give Keith a chance.”

“You must understand Altea and Galra were both races at odds with each other," Allura explained, folding her hands into fists. Her knuckles were red."They're barbaric in culture and all the ones I've met have been so in the heart as well."

"I'm half human," Shiro replied, crossing his arms. "And you know who that part’s related to." It hurt him to say, or even think, about his DNA parent who had caused many others so much anguish.

"Yes, but you're also part Kryptonian," she interjected, furiously. "A noble race like Alteans and have DNA from Superman."

Shiro shook his head. "Don't you think that the humans we protect also have good and bad too? Shouldn't we give him a chance? Your trauma from the Galra shouldn’t stop you from being civil.”

She closed her eyes while she hugged herself. Her lips were pressed in a thin line. “You’re right. Lance said the same thing. I am being judgemental and unfair.” Allura sighed, slumping her shoulders. “Still, I think _he_ should know.”

“This week’s report is almost complete.”

 

**

 

Coran prepared several dishes for dinner since it was his turn that night. He and Hunk traded off days to cook meals. He prepared a green-goo-like dish that he claimed was an Altean delicacy. They had all tried the dish before, but Coran insisted it was to make Keith feel more at home on Earth. Shiro attempted to make something too and the aftermath was still untouched on the table.

Keith sat at one end of the table and Allura at the other. Most of the team were quiet as they ate and glanced at each of their co-captains. Shay, Matt, and Coran had heard about the garage incident by now and were also moving around them with caution.  

Shiro swallowed down the goo politely, while some of his friends moved it around on their plate and played with it.

“So not to stereotype but why don’t you fight in your war?” Hunk asked, breaking the silence. “Isn’t that what Galra are known for?”

Lance elbowed him and motioned toward Allura. He was being insensitive to both parties. Despite their personal experience ending terribly, their knowledge of the Galra was incomplete. Shiro glanced at Keith who was scowling at the table. His grip on the silverware tightened. “I would’ve stayed and fought. I’m no coward.”

“No one is saying that.”

Keith was still frowning, but he released his breath and some of the tension in his body went away. “Sorry, it’s just that I don’t have powers,” He admitted, as he dropped the utensils and peered at his hands. “Most people think I can’t fend for myself, but I can.”

He continued to eat, but any enthusiasm present before vanished.

Hunk shakily rubbed his neck. “That sucks, buddy.”

“Why don’t we teach you?” Allura suggested, speaking for the first time that evening. They all gawked at her and Keith watched her warily. She had a polite smile. “Ultraviolet light is conducive to Galra powers and the sun in this solar system is close enough where you could manifest them.”

Pidge nodded in agreement. “Matt and I don’t have powers, but we fight crime every day. And Shiro uses UV light all the time.”

“We could trade off,” Hunk said, jumping off their train of thought. “Since some of you may be busy. Shay and I do have date plans.”

 

#### **

 

Shiro sat in his room as he wrote his report of the week. Everyone else was asleep. He took a deep breath and dialed Superman’s number on his communicator.

There were a few rings before there was a response. “Is this important?” The voice’s baritone held authority and softness; it was jarring to hear how identical it was to his own and wasn’t, reminding him why he didn’t like video calls. He sent his reports by email usually, but he needed a quicker response.

“I wanted to give my weekly report.”

“Okay, continue.”

“No casualties. We stopped some crime this week. Today we found a Galra alien. He is staying with us for the time being.”

Shiro wasn’t too sure if the silence was due to a bad connection or because he was deep in thought. “What does Allura think?” They got along better since she related to Superman more in some ways than he did because of their history of being the last of her destroyed species. However, Wonder Woman took Allura in as her protegee.

“She thinks he’s dangerous.” If he agreed with her it was unlikely that Keith could continue to stay with them.

“What do you think?”

“I think it’s too early to judge.”

Static filled the silence. Shiro tapped his fingers against the table, trying to be mindful of the pressure. Why would Superman trust him? He was the one related to his nemesis. He was the one who was compromised. “I won’t step in. I think the matter of your new guest should be determined by all of your teammates. Thank you for your report.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

Keith couldn’t explain why he had an urge to visit Earth now with all of the chaos back home reaching its peak. He felt drawn to his past and his father, and he wouldn’t get another opportunity to explore once all the commotion had settled. His mom had talked about Earth, but it was nothing like her stories.  

His hosts told him this part of the Earth was a region called California. He took nature walks in his spare time when most of his hosts were preoccupied. He liked the quiet of the forest and observing the creatures in it. They didn’t see you as a disappointment. He wished he could have brought Kosmo, his cosmic wolf, along with him. There hadn’t been enough time and he was in such a hurry when he left. Acxa said she’d take care of him and give him updates.

Coran was interesting despite also being alien. He was from Altea like Allura, but he acted as the den father to the group and often checked in on how everyone was doing. His opinion of Earth was inconclusive. The food was sweeter but lacked many flavors of his home.  

Lance introduced Keith to milkshakes and he and Allura instantly bonded over that. So far he enjoyed the vanilla flavor mixed with chocolate. Drinking it hurt if he drank too quickly. They called the phenomena brain freeze, which his fellow aliens, Allura and Coran, didn’t experience it.

Allura whispered to him, after drinking the entire confection in one gulp, “Don’t ask where the milk for shakes comes from.” He swore he saw Shiro chuckle at them despite being across the room. She seemed to be trying to treat him differently than when they first met.

Fortunately, he didn’t have any lactose intolerance issues. They slowly introduced him to other foods and tried to get him tested for any allergies. Then like promised, Lance and Hunk dragged Keith along to each restaurant in the city. They recorded and laughed at his reaction to peppers.

Human beings spent a lot of time doing leisure activities. Their form of travel was also too slow aside from the rare hoverbike which Pidge told him was way too expensive for the average person to own.

They started training him. He thought they would rethink their decision or forget about it until they finished fixing his spaceship. He never had formal training like most Galra and practiced in the quarters of his rooms. Acxa and Lotor were sometimes kind enough to teach him skills they had learned.

Pidge recorded the data from his training and would give him the results next week. They were comparing it with the average human and other aliens they had on file. Keith took the opportunity to note the different techniques and styles each member of Voltron had. Pidge fought in far range combat, but their brother Matt was fine interchanging between the that and using his staff for close combat.

Most of the team with superpowers were more careful when training with him. Despite Hunk being large, he seemed unwilling to do harm. He was pretty good at defense and dodging. Shay used her powers to shake the ground beneath and move boulders. Lance's powers were also intriguing, but unstable. He didn't mind knocking Keith off of his feet. His powers were also interesting since they were alien, but Lance himself wasn’t. Allura used Altean magic in their training. She was powerful. He figured she would have to be to lead them. She didn’t go easy on him but was controlled in her attacks.

He was looking forward to training with Shiro. Even though both Allura and he were co-captains, she also held a great amount of respect for her teammate. All of them did.

 

#### **

 

Shiro wasn’t sure how he was supposed to be training Keith. Since the team had various abilities and powers it was hard to focus on what each person needed. Lance channeled his powers to transform into the Blue Beetle through the scarab. While the scarab was powerful, it was also alien in origins and had a mind of its own. It spoke to him and offered helpful suggestions, but sometimes acted on Lance’s behalf. Matt and Pidge sparred together often since they were familiar with each other’s fighting skills.

They were on the outside training grounds. They were in an open area where the trees couldn’t block the sunlight which danced on both of their skins. Shiro wondered if his powers would be an automatic manifestation after sun exposure, but so far nothing different occurred in the other.

The first thing he learned during their training session, other than to not underestimate his opponent, was that while Keith didn’t have powers of a regular Galra, he still had superhuman abilities.

When they started, they were both circling each other. Shiro was trying not to use his powers in these training sessions. Keith charged in first. Shiro dodged but then moved to wrap his arms around the other only to be flipped on the ground.

"Don't go easy on me," Keith growled. From where he was laying on the floor he could see Keith’s disappointment. He lacked his usual playfulness, and his eyebrows were creased.

"I'll try not to," Shiro replied, as he dusted himself off. "You fight well."

"I had to," Keith replied. “If I didn't then no one would acknowledge me.”

“I wasn’t expecting that strength,” Shiro continued as he watched the other’s reaction. “I thought you said you didn’t have powers.”

Keith’s frown deepened. “I don’t. That’s actually less strength than your average Galra. The normal Galra can do ten times as much.”

“When you get your powers you’ll be just as strong,” he said, smiling in a way that he hoped was reassuring.

Keith stopped frowning, but he moved across the field to prepare for the start of their match. Sensing the other wasn’t lightening up, Shiro restarted their session. He fixed his form, guiding his arms and body into the proper stance. Keith was much more receptive to his encouragement and they continued to practice katas. They trained until sunset, taking some breaks in between.

  


#### **

  


Shiro ran laps all morning at the outside training grounds by the forest. It would have been considered a good day because of the sun except there was a lot of smoke billowing in the sky. The fire department should have put it out by now and he didn’t get any alerts that they needed extra assistance. He flew towards the scene to investigate. As Shiro landed, he heard a familiar cry but noticed instead several villains and criminals flocked together. Most were criminals that eluded the Justice League. His eyes widened when he noticed he was surrounded by fallen comrades. He couldn’t tell which friends were which with the blood that covered their outfits and their brutal mutilations. Some of them were only wounded, but they scowled up at him with rage.

A hand was placed on his shoulder. "Good work, son." It was that familiar deep voice that haunted him. Shiro turned around and saw Lex Luthor.

He screamed and flung the covers off of him. His body was covered in sweat. He slammed a hand on the bed frame and it instantly broke. Regret filled him and Shiro stood up and walked to the bathroom connected to his room. He splashed water on his face and ran a hand through his hair. The pink scar across running horizontally across his nose and cheeks stood out. He scowled and turned off the faucet.

His heartbeat hadn’t calmed down yet and the contents of the dream were still on his mind. They didn’t find out until after he was captured by Zarkon that he shared DNA with Lex Luthor of all people. Suddenly, another set of unwanted expectations were placed on him like with Superman, but most weren’t good. Shiro found himself writing lists of his traits just so that he could verify that they weren’t like Luthor’s.

He could hear his friends from the bathroom. They rushed into the lounge he guessed since it was a good midway point between their rooms.

“Did someone break in?” Lance. He had good instincts sometimes.

“No, the alarm would have gone off.” Pidge, they would be the practical one.

“I can double check.” Matt. He would be following protocol and making sure everyone was safe.  

“I think he’s having nightmares again.” Hunk. He was always worried about everyone.

“Maybe we can give him some of my grandmother’s remedies. That always helps me sleep.” Shay. She was sweet and liked to help.

“We should give him space. He’s still recovering.” That was Allura. She tended to be a voice of reason.

“If any bad guys came in he could probably take them.” Lance, again. He liked to think the best in him.

Shiro slumped on the cool bathroom floor. At least he could be finally left alone. It wasn’t often that he forgot about his super strength. He tried to maintain control at all times.

He heard a few footsteps. That person was light on their feet. There were a few taps at the door.

"Shiro are you okay?" Keith asked. His hand was on the doorknob but didn’t attempt to turn it and enter.

"I'm okay," Shiro replied. He winced noticing how his voice sounded and tried to make it evener. “I’m good.”

“Are you sure? I heard something break.”

“Yeah, I broke the bed frame.” He would probably find out in the morning anyway.

He could hear Keith’s breathing from the door. “Do you need help cleaning it up?”

“It’s fine.”

“Alright.”

The other was still lingering by the door but then stepped away. Shiro waited until he heard the footsteps grow more distant. His nightmares were usually about Zarkon and his capture, but Luthor did appear in his subconscious often also.

There were many nights like this one. He'd wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat and for a moment he wouldn't know where he was or if he was still with them. The environment of Zarkon and Haggar’s laboratory was familiar to him, but not the familiarity that he’d been at that specific one before. The kind of familiarity that was present resembled Cadmus labs: where he was created and grew up.

Zarkon and Haggar did experiments on him. For what reason he didn’t know. The major theory they had was to test Kryptonian DNA and find additional weaknesses against Superman.

Shiro tried to fall asleep since the mattress was still operational, but he couldn’t. A night out on his own usually made him feel better. He dressed into his gear, shut down the alarms so they wouldn’t disturb anyone, and left.

  


#### **

  


In the morning, Shiro went to the medical bay for his physical therapy. It was his weekly routine checkup that sometimes became daily if the prosthetic was damaged. When they found him, his arm was missing and he gained a bunch of scars all over his body. They gave him a substitute arm, but it hindered him more than it helped; it wasn’t as strong or durable as the rest of his body.

Coran checked his body’s physical reflexes and reactions. “How’s your arm?” He asked as he inspected the metal. His arm imitated the rest of his light skin but was cold to touch. The one positive was the prosthetic helped keep things business as usual.

“It works.” He flexed his arm and stretched his fingers to display this to him.  Shiro ran his other hand through his hair. The white roots were showing again near his fringe which meant he would have to dye it black again.

“How’s your memory?”

His memory of his capture was faint, but he didn’t want to remember either. The few vivid glimpses Shiro had were anesthesia induced. They tested the limits to his healing abilities, scarring his body and amputating his arm in the process. The last thing he remembered before his capture was sacrificing himself to fight off Zarkon so he could buy his friends enough time to escape. In normal circumstances, Shiro would have been fine but that was part of Zarkon’s plan. He used kryptonite to subdue him into a weakened state.

Except that when his friends found him, they told him his memories were wrong. They told him he had been gone for months and that he flew into a rage and attacked them all during their fight with Zarkon. And that Luthor was the one behind it since he implanted a way to mind control him when he snuck some of his DNA in Cadmus labs.

“Fine.”

“I’m sure they’ll come back in a jiffy.” The older Altean put away his stethoscope and other supplies. That was usually the end of that conversation. Coran was just being respectful of his feelings like the others, but he hated how they skirted around him. Before they would protest against his decisions and weren’t afraid to crack a joke with him. His friends and even Allura would look to him for guidance before too, but they didn’t walk around him like they were afraid. Or maybe that was his mind playing tricks on him and he was projecting his fears onto them.

If he was honest, his memory pre-capture was hazy too. He remembered his purpose was supposed to replace Superman in case he ever went missing. He had memories of Kal-El, the original Superman too, but he never identified as his predecessor. His life before also felt like a dream. Almost like peering into a stranger's life.

Hunk or Lance would make a joke and eager eyes would expect him to remember that reference. He saw something in them deflate every time he didn’t. Pidge, Hunk, and Lance were his first friends. They were the ones who found him in Cadmus labs and freed him. Then they founded Voltron together with Matt, Allura, and Shay. Knowing that information and accepting those memories felt like two different things.

“I heard there was a scuffle last night.” His fists crinkled the paper he was sitting on but didn’t deny the statement. Coran continued, slowly, “No one expects you to continue being a hero after all that’s happened.”

Shiro felt his heart pounding heavily. “I know you’re trying to help, but I want to continue being a hero.” He needed to. It was the purpose of his existence.

Coran held his hands up in surrender. “I just think we should ask some of the higher-ups to get you someone to talk to.”

 

#### **

 

After Keith’s fifth attempt at trying to fly, he dusted his knees and got back up. They practiced jumping off of tree branches to see if the adrenaline would assist him. Shiro waited below ready to catch him, but the distance from the ground was safe.

He tried to create starbolts, but Shiro could do nothing more than be supportive as the other tried again. He didn’t look surprised when he held his palm up and nothing appeared to change. Keith commented it was a very rare skill.

They trained in hand to hand combat also, but since Shiro had superhuman strength their training sessions usually left Keith winded even with his Galra strength.

“Are you alright?” Shiro asked, holding a hand out to his friend who was slumped on his knees. Keith waved his hand and stood up on his own.

“I’m fine,” He said, in between breaths. "We've been at this for weeks and I haven't gotten any better.” Keith frowned picking at his wounds. "I don't know, maybe I don't have any powers."

"Don't be so hard on yourself. Everyone improves at their own pace. We have to be patient." Shiro placed a hand on his shoulder, clapping it firmly. The other boy didn’t meet his gaze and was scowling. "Why is gaining powers so important to you?" Shiro thought over his question and then said, “Sorry if that was too personal a question.”

"It's okay," Keith said, though he seemed defeated. “Waiting for nonexistent powers any longer shouldn’t hurt me. My mother sheltered me because of the war.” His gaze drifted and he seemed somber as he continued, “No one expects that I can't protect myself or do anything without any powers."

Keith tried to give him a half-smile and change the mood. “How do your powers work?”

“I’m Kryptonian,” Shiro explained, leaning against the tree. “My powers are from ultraviolet light but it’s passive in energy intake. I think someone said it was specifically from yellow sunlight. It probably takes some time getting used to.” While people didn't think about it, there was a limit to his super strength. Especially since he was part human and it wasn't like Luthor had metahuman DNA. He had to strength train to improve, and he still didn’t have x-ray or heat vision.

Keith’s eyes widened. “I didn’t know there were any left. I heard about its destruction.”

“A couple of people were able to escape.” His technical cousin, Kara Zor-El, who also fought crime as Supergirl, and Superman, also known as Kal-El.

Then, he asked, "Do you feel relate to Allura with your loss of the planet Krypton?"

Shiro pondered this question but shook his head. Superman grew up on Earth away from his home planet and the fondness Superman did have for his home planet Shiro felt removed from. "I don't feel close the same way. There’s nothing to miss. I never knew it.”

A loud alarm rang blasting from the base. That was a distress call. "I should go," Shiro said, pulling away. The local police had ways to contact the team if there was ever any danger. Batman and the rest of the Justice League did too if they had any covert operations, but the alert for those operations were usually more subtle and rare. "Stay here. I’ll be back before you know it."

He checked for alerts at the base’s headquarters. Everyone else was on different missions or spending time with their mentors.

Pidge responded immediately. "I just got the notification on my phone. It looks like it's Captain Cold robbing a bank. Should we all take care of it?"

"You don’t need to bother the others. I'm the closest to the location. I can handle him alone.”

“Are you sure? I can get Lance and Hunk and they’ll come for backup in case anything goes wrong."

“It’s fine.”

“Copy,” Pidge replied.

 

#### **

 

Shiro took to an offensive stance as soon as he saw Captain Cold. It was odd to see him outside of Star city since he normally fought against the Flash. He was a long range type of attacker, so he concluded that getting rid of his freeze ray would be the fastest way to stop him. Shiro dodged the beams effortlessly, but suddenly the other aimed at his right arm which froze the metal and stopped any movement in that joint.

Someone knew his weakness. They knew that Shiro’s arm didn’t have the same strength as the rest of his body. Captain Cold was snickering as he aimed the gun straight at Shiro’s head. He wiggled his arm, but breaking his arm would be hard to replace and hinder his ability to continue being a hero.

A figure toppled Captain Cold over causing the blow to miss. With his weapon nowhere in sight, the villain held his hands up in surrender. Keith held a sword against the foe’s neck.

“Keith, we don’t kill our villains. They’re just low crimes. They don’t deserve to die for that.” The other stared at Shiro. For a second he didn’t know what Keith would do. Then, the sword retracted to a knife.

“I’m sorry,” Keith said, putting his weapon back into the scabbard. “I don’t believe in killing either and I don’t wish to break the laws of your land.”

Shiro wondered if he should discuss the nuances of laws and the death penalty while it was technically legal in some countries but not others. That could be explained at another time as more police arrived on the scene. Shiro reported the events as the police interrogated him. They still were suspicious of superheroes, but some were grateful.

“Who’s that?” One officer asked, eyeing Keith as he was helping to carry someone to back of an ambulance. There were already people taking pictures of Keith from a distance and a couple of reporters approaching him.

“A friend,” Shiro said, taking off to intercept Keith before anyone else did. The other was dazed as a couple of flashes flew in his direction. “We should go.” Keith nodded and no one stopped them. Who would when faced with Superman’s legacy?

The base was empty as it had been that morning. They were both in the lounge room. While Keith watched the latest Earth shows, which were basically high school dramas and teen romances, to learn more about humans, Shiro checked social media.

Fans and news outlets were already speculating a new member of their team. There was already a fan page of Keith with some low-resolution pictures. He wondered if Batman would let them get a publicist to control the information being spread. His pockets were deep enough to be funding them and his company. Batman probably had better things to be worried about.

“Why is being a Queen Bee so important to your culture?” Keith asked, as the next episode of Glee aired. Lance had insisted on watching Glee as a group activity to introduce him to the culture but Pidge threatened to rewire his phone so it wouldn’t work because he normally sang nonstop after marathoning it. Instead, Keith only watched by himself and hadn’t gotten far in the show. He was confused by the school system since Galra didn’t have mandatory early education and he often asked questions like why humans burst out into song randomly.

Shiro shrugged. “I’ve never been to high school.” In fact, he never had any public or private education with his peers at all.

Keith didn’t question it and turned the television screen off. He stretched his arms and yawned. “I’m going to head to bed.”

“I wanted to thank you for today. I’m glad you had my back.”

He didn’t turn around as headed to his room, but paused to reply, “Anytime.”

#### **

 

Shiro reported his observations of Captain Cold’s knowledge of his prosthetic arm to Coran the next morning. His cheerful demeanor vanished.

“That’s a good thing Keith was there.” He was frowning as he inspected the arm. “It’s damaged, but you can still use it. I suggest coming back tomorrow, so we can get the engineers.”

Coran was humming, which usually meant he wanted to say something but was unsure how to voice his opinion.

He wondered if he could ignore it if he talked about something else. “He really saved me,” Shiro commented.

The humming continued.

Shiro decided to give in. “What’s on your mind?”

Coran wasn’t fazed that he could read him. “Maybe he should officially join the team if he makes a habit of it. You could use a partner and you always go off on your own. It would make us worry less if someone else watched over your back.”

Shiro sighed. “What will Allura think?” His co-captain was already displeased with an unknown variable.

“I think she cares more about her friends than the Galra.”

Would Keith even want to?

  



	3. Chapter 3

Hunk prepared a special lunch for Keith. He kept making dishes from different countries so that Keith could get a sense of Earth food. The others and Shiro made an attempt too. Shiro must’ve put too many different spices because Hunk spat it out after trying it and then proceeded to dump the rest in the sink.

Keith had found this area on top of the building when wandering around in his free time. No one said it was off limits, but they didn’t introduce the spot on their tour. It had been a couple of weeks, according to human units of time, since he’d been on Earth.

He opened his communicator and waited for Acxa to answer. She messaged him that she might have free time at this date and time. The connection was wonky with such a long distance.

“K’thander,” Acxa said, smiling back at him. From the purple and blue wallpaper, she seemed to be in her quarters in the castle. “It’s good to hear from you. I got messages, but still.”

She was one of his few close friends back on Daibazaal.

He heard a whine and saw a fluffy blue paw try to scratch at the screen.

“Kosmo,” Keith cried, reaching for the screen too. “How is he?”

Acxa groaned, pulling the cosmic wolf back onto her lap. “Drooly. But otherwise good. He misses you.”

Keith smiled at Kosmo who was jumping up and down. He was excited after hearing his voice. “How is everyone else?” He wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

She slumped her shoulders. “Things have been so hectic here. Especially since you left.”

“How is my mom?”

Acxa paused, thinking over her answer. “She is less worried. I think Empress Krolia suspects where you are.”

His mother was always busy with her position in the empire. If Keith closed his eyes, he could remember the warmth of his mother’s hugs.

She was still frowning. “I understand why you left when you had to, but when will you return?”

He pursed his lips, staring back at her. “I—”

Acxa jumped at the sound of rattling. “I must go. Stay safe. We’ll check in again.”

He stared at the empty screen. Keith wasn’t sure what he would have told her. He didn’t know if he would get what he wanted out of this trip if he had a couple of more days or years. Earth was a lot bigger than he thought it would have been. The time exploring it could be endless.

The door opened and slammed shut, but Keith didn't bother checking who it was since the area was safe from any external threats due to the security of his hosts provided.

“I see this is where you go to hide,” someone commented, walking over to where he was sitting by the edge of the building. Shiro. “We missed you during dinner. I promise nothing I made was being served.”

They watched as the sunset which transformed the light blue sky into orange, pink, and red hues. Pidge said these happened every day and were nothing special. The sky turned into dusk and stars light years distant from the Earth appeared to illuminate the night. The constellations were so different here.

Keith could feel the other watching him, so he turned around to him in question. He had barely seen Shiro all day since he trained with Pidge that afternoon.

"Coran praised your skills this morning."

“Did he?” Keith laughed. Folks didn’t normally associate him with anything positive. Especially back the Galra on Daibazaal since he was a powerless halfbreed. He wasn’t sure how much he had improved on Earth either.

"I talked about it with the others and we wanted to know if you wanted to become an official part of the team."

His eyes widened as he stared at him. "And everyone's fine with that?" he asked, slowly. Shiro had been the most welcoming so it was not a leap to think he would be accepting; the rest of his friends he wasn’t so sure. Keith didn’t want to cause a schism among them.

Shiro nodded as he sat down next to him.

They didn’t have to keep him around much longer. Hunk and Pidge told him that morning they were close to fixing the spaceship. "Okay," Keith said, accepting the offer. He wasn’t really sure if he understood everything they did but he might as well pull his weight if he was going to stay with them.

Shiro beamed and clapped his arm on the side. Another thing that was odd, about humans, or maybe just Shiro and his friends, were that they were very affectionate and didn't mind physical touch. Even Lotor, who Keith had grown up with and considered his closest friend, was never this open so quickly.

"You'll need a secret identity and maybe a disguise too."

“Why?" Keith asked. "Everyone has already told me their names.”

“We don’t go around revealing our identities since our enemies could use it against us and endanger our friends and families,” Shiro explained. "Pidge even hid their identity from us for years and no one except a select few know Batman or Superman’s identity."

He supposed that made sense. "And you go by Superboy?" Keith asked, he heard people address him by that name but he thought it was a nickname. For the two weeks he’s been there, he’d just known the other boy as Shiro, but to learn everyone suddenly had an alias was strange.

“Yeah,” Shiro replied, turning a bit red. “It’s an homage to my predecessor Superman.”

He wondered how he should ask this from his suspicions and he figured it was a sore topic. He figured being the straightforward method worked best. "So you're," Keith trailed off with his question, feeling bad seeing Shiro wince.

“I’m a clone,” he finished but seemed uneasy. Keith wasn’t sure about his friend’s relationship to this so-called man Superman, but he didn’t think it was that. There were many druids who dabbled in cloning experiments, but the ethics on Daibazaal were still murky. The two of them seemed estranged. Shiro took out his phone and showed photographs of his mentor. Keith glanced at the image and then back at him.

"I don't see the resemblance."

Shiro laughed, and Keith was pleased that seemed to cheer him up. "Well, you've never met the guy.”

“No one ever says anything to us when we go to the mall.”

“Yeah, a disguise does that. Sometimes just glasses throw people off. I sometimes try to part my hair in different ways and don’t put any makeup on my scar when I want to lay low.”

Keith frowned looking at his lavender skin, which seemed to be the only physically obvious alien thing about him in comparison to humans. “I don't think I could disguise myself. Maybe a mask?”

Shiro hummed as he raked over his figure. He knew he didn't blend in well. “We’re still new to life outside of humans. You could appear how you normally do when we fight and disguise yourself if we go for pizza?”

 

#### **

 

Shiro noted that Keith adjusted well to the dynamic of each team member. They usually worked in pairs which usually left Shiro by himself when patrolling, but having company was pleasant.

It was after some weeks of successful missions that Matt one day asked, “Are you really going to wear that every time you leave?”

“Wear what?” Keith asked.

Matt pointed to all of Keith’s body and he still looked confused. Shiro couldn’t help but think his expression looked adorable.

“You’re dressed like you’re a stripper,” Lance commented, as he eyed the other up and down again.

“What is a stripper?” Keith asked. “What do they strip?”

Lance’s grin widened and Shiro covered his friend’s mouth to keep him from speaking. He was glad they brought it up, but that was hardly appropriate. His friend glared up at him and then licked his hand. Shiro retracted his hand in disgust.

Keith pouted as he looked dejectedly at them. “Are any of you going to explain?”

Matt interjected, “You look good,”

Hunk asked, “but aren’t you cold?”

Some superheroes wore costumes that were more for aesthetics than practicality. Though Shiro wasn’t sure if Keith wore his for fashion.

Keith blinked and glanced down out of his outfit. He was wearing his usual clothes: purple shorts, silver arm cuffs, and knee-high boots. He then blinked again. “My skin’s exposed to absorb more of the sun’s ultraviolet light or at least from what I’ve read.”

Pidge shushed Lance from another joke at Shiro’s expense and said, “Maybe we can try to make a suit that can still do all of that.”

They opened up a holo screen and started typing down notes. “We can create a suit to absorb that energy better. What are you five feet seven? You’re not that much shorter than Lance.” Pidge circled Keith inspecting him as they continued thinking aloud. “It might work better in black. That color is more absorbent to sunlight.”

It only took a few days before Pidge told them his suit was ready since money wasn’t a problem. They called everyone into the base’s lounge to check it out. Keith’s next outfit was a black long-sleeved shirt with purple accents that displayed his midriff and abs. He wore the hood of his skin-tight shirt up along with a mask to conceal his face and had matching shorts and boots.

“You humans must like a lot of layers,” Keith commented, glancing down at his costume. “Are you okay, Shiro?” he asked, leaning in closer to his friend. “You look really red? Are you sick?”

That made Matt snicker. If there was a God out there they were laughing at Shiro.

Keith looked shyly up to him “Do you not like it?” It wasn't good for stealth, but it was better than what he wore before.

Shiro swallowed, very aware of the extra eyes and ears in the room. “I do.”

“I also think you look good,” Shay said. Shiro was relieved in the shift of focus. “We should think of a name for you.”

"He's like a ninja," Lance commented, as he was snapping his fingers in thought. "We should call him Alien Samurai or Purple Ninja."

“Purple Ninja?” Pidge asked, scoffing. “I guess we know why your name is Blue Beetle the third.”

Lance crossed his arms. “I was just spitballing. Do you have any better ideas?”

Pidge stuck their tongue out. “Anything’s better than Purple Ninja.”

“There’s literally a hero named Red Arrow,” Lance retorted, his arms gesturing wildly. He tended to get worked up about nicknames and aliases.

Allura crossed her arms in thought. “I have to agree with Pidge. Purple Ninja is a bad name.”

“I don’t know Keith’s a real spitfire that’s for sure,” Matt commented.

“Red fire,” Lance yelled.

“Firebird,” Hunk suggested.

Keith arched a brow as he observed them from where he was sitting. “Why can’t I name myself again?”

“Because you think Thunderstorm Darkness is a great name.”

They played with names, but none of them stuck.

 

#### **

 

Shiro got a call from Rolo and Nyma to meet them at their workplace. The couple worked at Lion’s Share, a popular club in town, and gave intel to their team from the customer’s gossip.

Pidge said they heard something about Zarkon’s whereabouts on Earth and they might know who was exposing his weakness. They usually didn’t give anything to them without some sort of deal. Keith looked alarmed when they mentioned Zarkon and wanted to join too. He must have been infamous back on Daibazaal too. Some of his friend’s insisted on coming along also, but Shiro didn’t want them to endanger themselves for his sake.

The sound of EDM and chatter overwhelmed him as he entered. Shiro tried to focus on his breathing as he walked up to the bartenders. The neon strobe lights were making him dizzy. Rolo was working that night while Nyma waited tables.

Shiro sat down on the stool, feeling out of place. He was in the same attire most of the club goers were, but that didn’t quell those sentiments. A couple of people winked and tried to talk to him. He tried to politely let them down as he waited.

Rolo grinned down placing a glass of whiskey in front of him.

“On the house.”

Shiro accepted the glass but didn’t touch it. “Pidge said you called them about Zarkon.”

“A little birdy might have told us something.”

“What do you want in exchange for it?” The couple had double-crossed his friends before, but even though they apologized for it Shiro still felt tentative working with them.

“Protection,” Rolo stated. He was looking into the crowd, but Shiro could see that his direction was where Nyma was serving a group of men. “Those guys are dangerous and if they know we told you Nyma and I are toast.”

That wouldn’t be a problem. They protected people on a normal basis out of principle. Shiro held his hand out to him. “It’s deal.”

Rolo grinned, as he shook it. “I’ll send the information to your friends. You guys can have it triple checked by the League or whoever.” That was what their usual operations because they couldn’t be too careful.

He was still lingering where he could meet up with other customers. “So the word is it you have a new alien team member?” He knew about Keith. Not surprising since he had been fighting alongside them.

“That’s none of your business.” Shiro stood up and pushed the stool in.

“I don’t mean any harm,” Rolo said, holding his hands up in defense. “I’m just happy for you. I know you’re all a team, but when you partner up in small groups you’re usually the one by yourself.”

 

#### **

 

When Shiro got anxious at night, he began patrolling the city looking for crime. Most of his friends would be asleep, but sometimes they did ask to tag along. He normally tried to find polite ways to decline.

Shiro was already geared up in his red and blue costume. He understood he could just walk around in a t-shirt with a Superman symbol or House of El coat of arms, but being outfitted helped his mindset.

"You’re heading out?" Keith asked, one night right before he was leaving. Why the other one was up he didn’t bother asking.

“Yeah, I’m doing some patrols”

"Let me be your backup," Keith insisted. He was also fully geared with his blade at his belt.

Keith was doing well integrating into the team. So far they stopped small crimes together. Nothing big had happened. Sometimes, Shiro would find himself checking in on the other's safety. He had to remind himself that Pidge and other heroes without powers were fine, so Keith would be just as safe with his skill, if not more so. He was helpful whenever they paired up to fight crime compared to Lance, who was still learning to control his powers and discovering more about the scarab, and Pidge, who was sometimes distracted by some new technology. The two and other members were also cumbersome to bring since they hovered over him.

Shiro sighed. "Okay."

The air usually felt nice whenever he woke up to fly around the city. But since Keith couldn't fly they took one of the hoverbikes. Keith eyed the red and black one he had appreciatively. Shiro secured the helmet and handed one over to him.

"Safety first," Shiro said. He knew he'd probably be fine if he fell off, but he had to set a good example for any of his fans. Keith looked amused but put the helmet on.

"I can let you take it out for a spin," Shiro commented.

Keith cheeks darkened in embarrassment but nodded. "We have a lot of technology back home, but never something with this little protection. I admit the danger does seem exciting. I’ll be able to handle driving it myself. I may not have powers, but I was the best pilot in my class."

Shiro grinned, recalling their training sessions. He didn’t boast about himself, but he never lied about what he was capable of. "I'll take your word on that.”

He showed Keith the controls which he was able to remember and repeat.

The city was noisy. Cars horns honked and people screamed. Shiro kept an eye out for any signs of trouble. Maybe there would be a pickpocket or a cat would need help from a tree. Keith kept close to him. Sometimes people would turn to stare at him, but most people averted their eyes. Aliens were becoming the norm, but there were still protests against marriage to aliens.

"Excuse me, Mr. Superman," a boy yelled running up to him. He looked about five. "I'm your biggest fan."

"Harry, that's Superboy," an older woman said catching up. She looked similar to the child. "I'm sorry. He’s normally quieter."

“It’s okay, ma’am,” Shiro commented, as the boy took the initiative to hug him. He glanced around if anyone noticed the commotion but no one else stopped.

"I like you too Mr. Superboy! You look so cool!” Harry exclaimed. Shiro wondered if he was ever this excited about superheroes. He noticed Keith stood to the side of a convenience store. He was smiling as he observed them.

“Do you know Green Lantern too? Do you meet with Mr. Superman and Mr. Batman to have lunch? Is Mr. Superman your dad?" Shiro stiffened at that question. He felt his heart rate increase. He wondered if anyone else had noticed too.

“Can you sign my forehead Mr. Superboy?” Harry asked looking up at him. He was holding out a sharpie from his pocket.

“I don’t want that to cause your mom more trouble,” Shiro said, shaking his head. “Sharpies are hard to get off.”

Harry whimpered, and Shiro was aware of curious bystanders watching the child about to cry in front of him.

“He said no, Harry,” she scolded, looking exasperated. “We can get some ice cream at home.” His mom led him away telling her son to thank him before leaving.

Keith stood up from his position against the store’s wall. “You’re pretty popular.”

“Superman’s popular.”

The night was relatively quiet. Shiro flew above the city and watched for any trouble while Keith drove on the hoverbike and examined dark alleyways. The other would call for Shiro when he saw something suspicious and he would fly back down to assist. They helped break up a couple of drunk fights, stopped a few pickpockets, and escorted people to their homes.

One of the women they walked to their home didn’t want to come home until she was sure her father was asleep. She looked younger than Shiro but older than Pidge. Her makeup was smeared, but she seemed too exhausted to care. They waited on the sidewalk a block away from her house.

“He yells a lot when he’s angry,” she explained. “I wasn’t supposed to be out tonight anyway.”

She didn’t cling on to Shiro like some of his fans did. When they saw the light in her parent’s lights turn off, they helped sneak her into her bedroom window which was on the second floor. Shiro handed her a card for social services and she slipped it into her jacket half-heartedly.

“Thanks,” she said, hugging them right before they left.

As a break, Shiro took him to a local donut store. Keith sat down by the window as he ordered. He avoided the coffee but bought two red velvet donuts with cream filling to go.

Keith drove them back to the base and they sat at a table in the kitchen. They ate in silence and watched as the sky brightened and birds chirped as they awoke along with the rest of the city.

His body wasn’t tired, but his eyelids were drooping.

Keith yawned across from him as he stood up. “I think I’m going to head to bed. Thanks for letting me join you.”

“No problem. The night went a lot better with you around.” Shiro found he sincerely meant it as he recalled the evening.  

When Shiro heard footsteps and alarm clocks go off, he retired to his room.


	4. Chapter 4

The mission went to shit. After a couple hours of waiting, the sun was setting. They were at the city’s port and everyone was hiding in separate spots in mini groups. Shiro was with Keith who was activating his blade and then retracting it. None of these surroundings brought up any memories.

He noticed Lance and Hunk looking at their phones. Matt and Pidge were playing a memory game while Allura and Shay were discussing their upcoming plans.

Pidge had verified the information Rolo and Nyma gathered about Zarkon and his abduction. A couple of people also reported that there were sightings of suspicious activity. Usually, they would wait for the approval of the Justice League core members, but since the lease for the building was expiring it was likely the base would be evacuated before the week was over. They hadn’t had any big breakthroughs since the lab experiments conducted on him were difficult to trace. After investigating further into the port, Matt discovered the energy radiating from the building resembled the trace elements they found on Shiro last spring.

It was an ambush. They lost their vigilance waiting and then they were being fired at from all sides. They were laser beams judging from the blast. The others had to leave their hiding spots to intervene. Pidge clamored to the database to see if any intel was leftover.

“Keep them busy,” Pidge said, over the comms.

Some of the guards were short range and started fighting them hand to hand. A large guard descended attacking Shiro. He could hold his own, but most were targeting him and aimed for his prosthetic. Keith intercepted a guard who swung from behind him but he fell back on his face. His mask cracking as it took most of the impact.

Shiro punched the guard which sent the guard flying against the wall. He descended to the ground waiting for him to get back up. The guy seemed to still be breathing. He needed to work on the impact of his strength. Keith also stood up again, wobbling, and Shiro allowed him to lean on him for support. There were still some fights going on, but most of the ones around their vicinity stopped.

The guard’s helmet fell off as he got up. He had lots of purple fur and his ears rested on top of his head were cat-like. He was Galra. So their intel was right. Zarkon was here. Keith looked alarmed noticing the guy.

Maybe it was the alien. He scowled directly at Keith. He must have said something in a different language, but Keith charged in without thought.

Keith managed to get in a few swipes with his sword, but he wasn’t blocking or countering any of the attacks. He was knocked over and the Galra began to pummel at him. Shiro ran to his side before another blow could be made. He twisted the Galra’s arm, but he screamed something which alerted every other guard and then an explosion went off from inside the port making them both lose their balance.

Shiro grabbed Keith to shield him from the debris. He was limp in his arms but still breathing. “Is everyone okay? What was that?” Shiro asked, over the comms. The fire was growing. The authorities would be over here soon. Were Pidge and Matt still inside there?

“We’re fine,” Matt replied. “Once they noticed Keith they just decided it was better off destroying everything.”

“Lance and I are also more or less okay,” Hunk said, in between breaths. From Shiro’s vantage point he could see the two of them with Allura and Shay. “So let me get this straight, Keith was the reason they changed their minds?”

“I knew he couldn’t be trusted,” Allura muttered under her breath.

Shiro glanced down at the figure in his arms who was blissfully unaware of the conversation surrounding him. He used his other hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. “Let’s not be too hasty.”

 

#### **

 

Keith was in the medical bay. His friend’s reaction to the mission results was mixed. Allura was furious, but Lance and Matt were comforting her. The others were wary but seemed willing to wait until Keith explained himself. Coran told him other than a broken arm, some bruises, and scratches he was fine.

He closed his eyes trying to drown out the other conversations and questions his friends were having. Shiro knocked on the door and went in when he heard his friend mutter it was open. His room held the familiar sterile cleanliness of the other medical rooms.

"You want to tell to me what that was all about?" he asked approaching the other slowly.

"I didn't mean to lash out or become a liability," Keith replied, though his gaze remained fixed on the wall. "I can go back and apologize to the others and leave if they want me too.”

“Keith,” he said, sitting down next to him. He didn’t want to get too close since his friend had his walls up. “Let’s talk this out first. No one is throwing you under the bus.”

His eyebrows arched in question. Shiro smiled despite this tense situation. “It’s an idiom.”

“Oh.”

His friend was still quiet. "I'm sure they'll understand if you give them the chance.”

“Did you know the Galra we were fighting? He seemed to recognize you.”

Keith pursed his lips, conflicted. “I don’t know him. He mentioned my dad and even knew his name. He knew where my dad was held and that they feasted on his corpse and then promised that would be me and my family next."

Shiro tapped his knees anxiously at the information, inching closer to his friend. He held his hand, but Keith shook it off. The fringe of his hair was pushed back, and Shiro could see the guilt in his irises.

“I haven’t been exactly honest,” Keith admitted, after a minute. "Part of the reason I left Daibazaal was to find my human dad, but I haven’t even started yet and now it seems hopeless."

“He could be lying. Enemies try to get underneath your skin to hurt you.”

“Hopefully.” He didn’t protest this time when Shiro held his hand in his and squeezed his hand back.

"So your other half is human,” Shiro repeated, processing that information. Keith didn’t say anything against his statement. "How did your parents meet?"  

“You may not know it but my kind have visited your planet for years,” Keith explained. “My mom was a war hero and many acknowledged her merit from that. She was tracking the former Emperor Zarkon to try him for his war crimes which led her to Earth.”

So Zarkon was an intergalactic criminal. Not surprising.

“And then she met my dad and they had me and the rest is history,” Keith concluded with a shrug, but his expression was anything but blasé.

“It sounds like a lot is missing from that story.” Shiro joked. He didn’t want to press the other. “I appreciate you opening up with me. You can tell me the rest when you feel comfortable.”

Silence washed over them and Keith murmured something as Shiro stood up to leave the room to give his friend space. He turned his head in question. “My mom said my dad’s name was Heath Kogane,” he said, barely above a whisper. “If you could help me find him. He was a scientist.”

“Keith Kogane," Shiro said, testing the name out on his tongue. He smiled at his friend. "I like the sound of that."

Keith smiled back at him.

“In the meantime, you’re suspended from missions.” The other was about to protest but Shiro brought his hands up in dismissal. “It’s not just about what happened on the team. You’re injured and it’s a conflict of interest.”

Pidge checked the files over with Matt. Most were in a foreign language, which Allura and Keith confirmed to be Galra. They couldn’t read it since it was encrypted. They didn’t find any information about Haggar or Zarkon’s activity or their whereabouts yet. So far what they cracked was notes about Cadmus.

 

#### **

 

Since being told to take a break while his injuries healed, Keith had worked up the courage to admit to the rest of them what caused his reaction. It was an edited and less personal version, but a form of the truth ultimately.

He wasn't lying when he told Shiro that he didn't know the Galra they fought. But that Galra recognized Keith. That wasn't surprising since he was next in line of succession, but most Galra ignored his existence and Krolia made sure there were few pictures of him spread to the masses. The Galra on Earth knew about his dad, which meant he was in danger if he was even alive.

Keith's arm was healing quickly due to Coran's Altean healing pods, but also because of the rapid rate at which Galras healed. It would only be a few more days until he got to take it off, but Shiro insisted he would still be suspended beyond that.

He had been going restless since he was already used to the missions they allowed him to join them on. Between marathoning, the rest of Lance's recommended shows and training to hone his skill, their home had been feeling confining. He finished the rest of the show Glee. He was confused by it, but Matt pulled him aside to tell him to just go with it. They also lent him video games to play, so far he was surprisingly good going off by Hunk’s cheering and Lance’s groaning every time he reached first place.

He also assisted Pidge in trying to decode the rest of the information they were able to obtain. They weren’t able to make any leads on why Zarkon captured Shiro last winter. Zarkon was a threat back on Daibazaal before the war broke out. He needed to be brought to justice for his crimes. His mom might like to hear about this if she wasn't furious at his absence.

Pidge seemed personally invested in helping, Keith track down his father.

They shrugged as the two of them sat in front of the computer, but there was something else lingering in their expression. "I just hate when families are torn apart."

Shiro had told him that he couldn’t find anyone better than Pidge and Matt to help him find his father. They both figured out Batman's identity, which was why he took them on as his protegees.

He still hadn’t received any calls from Acxa, but his relationship with everyone was returning to normal.

 

#### **

 

There were no missions planned that Saturday and their news updates had been quiet. They decided to go to the festival. Lance and Hunk were the ones who planned to go initially. Lance convinced Allura and that made Hunk invite Shay, so he wouldn’t feel like a third wheel. Matt wanted to go also since Allura was going and then Pidge didn’t want to be left out and convinced Keith since he had never been to any Earth festivals. Shiro was going to allow them all to leave and stay behind with Coran but then had seven pairs of eyes pleading with him.

They all wore their civilian clothes. Shiro wore a dark t-shirt and blue shorts. Allura shapeshifted her ears and covered her pink Altean markings. Her hair also changed from its silky silver to a light brown.

Keith was dressed in a crimson puffy jacket with a black shirt and jeans, but that didn’t hide his skin very well. Lance must have taken him to the mall or an outlet at some point. It was a nice change of pace seeing him wear human clothing.

The county’s festival was in walking distance, so they traveled to the fairgrounds on foot.

“Aren’t you dying under there?” Pidge asked, glancing at Keith’s clothing. They were using a flyer to fan themselves. Shiro hoped he wasn’t sweating too much also. Since it was the afternoon and there were a lot of people that didn’t make the heat better.

Keith shrugged. “On Daibazaal the temperature is much hotter, but the layers of clothing are uncomfortable.”

A couple of people stared at them but most kept the comments to themselves. Shiro overheard a few of them mention aliens and Voltron a couple of times.

Lance and Pidge led them to the pendulum ride which was a giant boat that rocked back and forth. Keith stared at the ride with confusion. “That looks like a primitive death trap.”

“It’s safe. Tons of people go on it every year.”

“I have to agree with Keith,” Hunk said, looking up at the ride. “I think someone died on it last year.”

Lance gawked at his friend. “You can control technology and fight crime. You’ll be fine.”

The only thing that kept them safe was the bar and gravity. In the end, the only thing that convinced Hunk was if Shiro waited behind to watch in case anything happened. He watched them go on and rock back and forth on the boat. Hunk looked like he was about to hurl when they got off. Shay rubbed soothing circles on his back. Keith’s hair became disheveled, but his eyes were wide with excitement. Pidge and Lance were already leading him to other rides.

After that, they several rides like the zipper and drop tower rides. Allura and Keith were both fascinated by the bumper cars which didn’t actually go at top speed like normal cars.

They also visited the petting zoo and a butterfly enclosure. Allura kept trying to introduce herself to the livestock and while Keith didn’t he still nodded his head respectfully to any rabbits that walked up to him. A goat tried to take a bite of Shiro’s shirt, but he fled behind the gate right after. The butterfly enclosure was less eventful, fortunately. Matt took several pictures of Allura and Keith with butterflies on their heads and noses.

As the day turned into dusk, luminescent lights lit up the top and wove around each of the booths. The festival had booths side by side each other for each game.

His friends tried to convince Shiro to go to the high striker which was a strength game. Shiro glared at them, namely Lance. “That would be cheating. Not everyone has superpowers.”

“But these games are rigged anyway,” Lance said, observing someone trying to win a ring toss game. “We’re just evening the playing field.”

Matt whispered in his ear, "You should get the green alien doll for him. It looks like he might want something." He pointed back to where Keith was still observing the stuffed animals with curiosity.

Shiro would have to put enough weight when striking it without breaking it. He tapped the item down and it went up just enough to strike the tip of the meter before falling down.

The employee looked shocked. "Choose what you want."

Shiro looked at each prize not exactly sure what he wanted for himself or what Keith might like. He wasn’t really a stuffed animal kind of person. He glanced at Keith for any input.

"The red creature," Keith said, gesturing to the red lion on the top shelf. “It’s most superior.”

“The lion?”

He nodded. He held the stuffed animal in his arms and was inspecting its anatomy. “Is this how a lion actually looks life? There wasn’t any in your petting zoo.”

They played a few more games. Lance showed off his skills at the shooting ones. A few of the times they couldn't win, Lance kept quipping about how rigged everything was. Pidge was calculating the probability of winning each game and giving tips for each one. Eventually, they were kicked out of that fair games area, but not without plenty of prizes in their hand.

Hunk offered to carry all of their prizes, but since there were so many he and Shay decided to head back home to drop them all off. They split off into groups since Lance and Allura wanted to go to the petting zoo again, and Matt and Pidge wanted to check out the concert. Eventually, it was just the two of them since Keith had been mainly following him.

They had mostly been stopping at each booth to look at what they were selling. He saw a cotton candy stand next to a booth selling pressed flower jewelry.

Shiro bought a pink and blue bag and offered it to him. “You have to try this.”

The other held it softly before tentatively nibbling on the piece.

"Do you like it?" he asked, watching Keith.

He stared at him with wide eyes. "It disappears in your mouth," he gasped.

Shiro chuckled at his friend's amazement and gave the rest of the bag to him.

Keith continued to munch on the dessert while Shiro led him around the festival. "We have to let you see the fireworks. The best view would probably be the Ferris wheel."

The line for it was long. It was unlikely that the Ferris wheel would conveniently break while they were at the top, but it did have stops so everyone had a chance to get a good view of the entire fair and fireworks.

When it was their turn, they gave the employee their tickets and sat across from each other. From their height, they could see all the stands and see most of the fairgrounds. The people weren’t so far away that they looked like ants. The Ferris wheel circled a few times and stopped intentionally to give everyone a chance at the top.

The noise from the firework jolted Keith, but he eased noticing Shiro’s calm demeanor. Red, blue, yellow, green, and purple fireworks lit up the sky: starting small as they ascended and blooming like a flower. The fireworks continued after they got off the ride.

“Do your people have fireworks all the time?” Keith asked. “You should have fireworks every day.”

Shiro chuckled, shaking his head. “Maybe at Disneyland. There’s also a lot on independence day.”

"It's beautiful. I've never seen anything like this before."

“I’m glad I didn’t miss this.” He couldn’t remember the number of times he turned down outings with his friends.

They walked back in silence from the festival. There were still crowds of people and booths they hadn’t seen. Shiro texted the others he was leaving with Keith but hadn’t gotten a response back yet. Most of the fireworks had died down, but there were still smaller ones being lit.  

"So, you've never flown before?" Shiro asked. A lot of humans never flew before, so the excitement Keith displayed wasn't new.

"A couple of times," the other admitted, tugging at his sleeves. “On a ship with the hood open.”

“Most humans can’t unless they have metahuman DNA.”

Keith hummed in acknowledgment though he still looked disappointed. “It’s a common skill for Galra.”

Sensing the other’s discomfort, he shifted his weight awkwardly from side to side. "For a while, I couldn't fly either," Shiro commented.

He looked shocked. “Really?”

"I wasn’t born perfect you know,” Shiro said, grinning. He nudged the other and the other bumped playfully back. Keith chuckled. “And then, I started gradually getting the rest of Superman's powers as I aged."

As they walked, they kicked the stray pine cones on the ground back and forth to each other.

"Sometimes when people look at me all they see is Superman or who I was before the accident," he admitted. Since Keith didn’t respond, perhaps mulling over the information, he continued, “and then I wonder if I’ll ever be enough.”

He stopped suddenly, and Shiro paused and glanced back at him wondering what was keeping him. “I think you’re enough.” He was about to protest but stopped as he noticed how Keith gazed back at him with honest and determined eyes.

“Okay.”

The crickets filled their comfortable silence as they strolled back. They just reached the base’s front entrance when an idea came to Shiro suddenly.

“I can show you how it feels.” He held out his hand and Keith glanced at it and then took it. Keith's hand in his felt warm.

At first, Shiro cradled him in his arms as they flew higher and higher: past statues, houses, and then skyscrapers, stopping as they rose above the clouds. While the oxygen might've been hard for most humans, they were fine since they were part alien.

The crescent moon was ample from their vantage point and illuminated their faces. Keith's arms tightened around Shiro's neck. "Don't you dare drop me," He said, laughing.

"I'm going to try something," Shiro said, moving the placement of his hands from Keith's waist to his shoulders.

"Whoa," Keith shrieked, clinging tighter to his neck."I did not consent to this."

"Do you trust me?" Shiro asked, calmly. He was curious about the answer, but he was confident that Keith would like what he had in mind. However, Shiro was also prepared to change his position to one more secure.

He couldn’t see Keith’s expression as he looked at the ground below them and couldn’t gauge his fear but heard a deep breath. "Yes."

Shiro flipped him so his back would be against his chest and wrapped his arms onto the boy's shoulders. He flew parallel to the ground allowing Keith to spread his arms and mimic flying on his own. They drifted in the air and through cold clouds. The cold air was relaxing compared to the heat of the rest of the day. Keith would ask him to fly faster and higher and he did. They didn’t get too close to the city but admired the bright lights from above.

As they landed at the base’s entrance, Keith hugged him. Shiro was shocked since he didn’t normally initiate contact, but he held onto the other tightly.

"Thank you for sharing this with me," he said, smiling at him as he pulled away. They both stared awkwardly at the ground, Shiro’s face felt hot and they snuck glances at each other as they went to their rooms.

 

#### **

 

Keith spent most of the morning with Pidge and Matt trying to decipher the Galra codes. So far they figured out that Zarkon captured Shiro off as a ransom and that they were selling off secrets to their experiments. They also bought a lot of metal and nuclear energy. Pidge’s current hypothesis was that it must be some kind of weapon.

He got a call from Acxa that afternoon. He was out of time. They were coming for him. Keith stuffed his belongings in the duffel bag. There were some items that were fine to leave behind like his bed sheets. He might be able to fit everything if he put it on his spaceship and left before they woke up. If he left now it would mean leaving without saying goodbye, but then his new friends would never have to know.

He saw the red lion doll and paused. He held the soft doll. He'd never seen a lion before but his friends assured him that other Galra looked cat-like.

Keith sighed. Being here was too good to be true.

Finding his dad seemed impossible and searching for answers was harder than he predicted. Any time left for searching for him up. For years he’d be the first to charge forward whenever a problem arose and he couldn’t run away from this. His mother would have to know about Zarkon and bring him to justice.

There was a knock on his door and Keith shoved his duffel bag in the closet. He opened the door and peaked out, so whoever was there wouldn’t notice the state of his room.

Shiro’s warm face smiled back at him. “I was wondering if you wanted to go on a walk. Just the two of us.”  

He shouldn’t; most goodbyes were better if all ties were cut off completely. As Keith looked into his kind grey eyes, he found himself following the man out.

#### **

 

They walked barefoot on the sand since they left their shoes in the hoverbike. This time of day was nice since no one was there aside from the occasional bonfire which was at the far from where they were and the private beach ended. It was colder, but that felt like a relaxing break with the summer heat. The waves came up to their feet before receding back. The air felt salty and smelled strongly of the ocean.

Keith looked at the hermit crabs that crawled around. "The creatures here are fascinating."

Shiro smiled at him. He always found wonder in the ordinary. They sat down far enough from the water so they wouldn't get completely wet and Shiro tried his best to make a sandcastle for the hermit crab.

Keith kept laughing each time the waves crashed the moat they built.

They gave up and let the crab wander around. Keith was still inspecting the sand as Shiro began skipping rocks on the water.

"There aren't many oceans on Daibazaal," Keith commented. "I don't think we've ever seen the snow or ice you mentioned. It is a very hot planet, but we get by since we have trade with other planets."

"We should plan a trip to Canada in the winter," Shiro said. Canada would be cold enough for snow at that time of year, unlike California which was sunny year round. He wondered if Superman or their team would mind both of them taking a break. "We can pack our things in the fall or this week if we can find somewhere that’s snowing."

Keith didn’t inquire more or respond with eager excitement. His hair flowed with the breeze and he tucked the stray locks behind his ears. He shook his head and smiled. "Thank you."

Shiro tilted his head. "For what?"

"For everything," he said, as the color on his cheeks darkened. "It could have been anyone who found me and I would have been lost and not everyone can be as welcoming." He was twirling his fingers in his hair as he rambled. Keith took a deep breath and stilled his hands before he finished with, "I'm glad it was you."

Shiro smiled. He was happy he met the other too. "I'm glad you kissed me too."

"Kissing is what Earthlings do when they like each other?" Keith asked, leaning in. Violet eyes looked up at him through thick lashes.

Unsure if the other was misunderstanding the word like, he began to explain, “Friendships on Earth between friends don’t require kissing if you like one another. More than a friend like, like romantic relationships, usually involves kissing.”

Shiro’s felt himself blushing and he was unsure if the explanation made any sense.

“I think it is the second option I feel.” Keith continued to gaze up at him, biting his lips. His body was tense against the other. He was close enough where he felt Keith’s breath tickling his neck.

Shiro's hands hovered over the other’s cheek. He nodded and closed his eyes.

A ring came from his phone. Damn everything.

"I should go check on that," Shiro commented, pulling away.

Keith didn’t say anything, holding his arm as he gazed at the ocean. He was wondering what was bothering him. Maybe it was disappointment too.

He answered the call. "What is it?" he asked, trying not to sound annoyed.

"Aliens," Matt replied. He sounded out of breath. "And a lot of them. You should come fast."

From the corner of his eyes, he noticed Keith’s eyes widen in shock as he overheard the conversation.

“I’ll be right there.” He put his phone back into his pocket. "I think you should stay here."

"But I can help."

"We can handle it. That's an order. You're still benched."

“Benched?”

“That means you can’t come.”

Keith looked sullen but didn’t disagree. Shiro left the hoverbike for Keith to get back and watched as his silhouette faded as he flew higher into the sky.

#### **

 

A giant spaceship was parked in the middle of an intersection, causing traffic all around that area of the city. No one appeared to be injured; however, one person in the crowd of spectators claimed the alien had kissed him and they were soulmates.

The being appeared to look like a tall man. He towered over Shiro by a head and had familiar furless purple skin and elegant long silver hair. Compared to the others, he looked regal in the way he poised himself and his outfit. The alien was surrounded by an entourage of other aliens: most twice his height, but some around his size and furry. Galra.

"Where is the Jewel?"

"I'm sorry, what?"

Allura blasted the largest alien knocking them over, but she got back up as soon as she crashed into a car, wiped the blood on her cheek, and grinned.

Shiro approached their attacks cautiously. It was easy to block or get careless with his super strength and immutability to bullets. He had to keep in mind that their weapons were different and most likely superior to anything on Earth.

He dodged the lasers from the weapons. One of the aliens disappeared and reappeared only to trip them over.

Lance was already transformed into the Blue Beetle, flying from atop and throwing enemies on the ground. Pidge was flinging boomerangs from above while Matt was fighting off anyone who tried to get close to his sibling. Shay was causing earthquakes and toppling over any who got close. She had to be mindful of the buildings and the civilians still in the area. Hunk was bending some lamp posts and knocking them down on a few of them.

The regal one watched unharmed. He looked bored and unamused. "Let's handle this diplomatically."

"What do you want?" Shiro asked.

Allura and his other friends gawked at him. “You’re trying to barter with him.”

Most of them were speaking all at once in Galra. The alien held up hand out and they stopped. The alien said, “It's simple. Hand over the Jewel and we’ll go."

“We don’t have any jewel,” Shay cried.

"The Betrothed, the Jewel. Our sources traced him here."

There were too many of them. Most of the aliens didn’t care if they were injured and charged forward without a care. Pidge ran out of boomerangs and was back to back with Matt. Lance’s armor was still activated, but he also had trouble standing up.

A roar of an engine was overheard making some stop and notice the new threat. The hoverbike rammed into some of the Galra on the way to where they were circled up. It was Keith.

“I told you to stay behind,” Shiro yelled as he strode over to him. He blocked a few incoming blasts and shielded his friend. He was grateful he came to help, but he would’ve been happier to know the other was safe at the base.

“I couldn’t stay away knowing you’d be in trouble,” Keith admitted. He stopped suddenly when he noticed the being in the middle. That’s when Shiro noticed along with his normal outfit he was carrying a large duffel bag. Most of the other Galra soldiers had stopped too. Some lowered their weapons, but others pointed it directly at Keith.  

The regal alien motioned the others to bring him forward. “Bring the Jewel.”

“Did you steal something?" Pidge asked. “Why are they all crowding around you?”

Keith looked small. Especially surrounded by aliens were twice the size of humans.

"Explain yourself," Allura yelled. "Or have you betrayed us and led the Galra here."

Lance and their other friends looked alarmed.  

"No, this isn’t what it looks like.” Keith shook his head furiously. “I'm sorry. I'm just a coward. I ran away from my engagement. I wanted to tell you.”

Pidge and Matt were frowning as they watched him. Shay and Hunk seemed lost and perplexed.

"You’re a liar,” Lance screamed, but this time Allura held him back. “You keep hiding things. Was anything you told us the truth?"

"There was a civil war,” Keith admitted, though he looked defeated. “And I did need that training."

The regal alien placed a hand on Keith’s shoulder. The other one cupping his cheek. He didn’t shake him off.

“K’thander."

"Keith, no," Shiro yelled, he flew up to intercept him, but a large hand blocked his path.

“Stand down,” a burly looking Galra said, glaring at him. “He's a part of the peace treaty."

“Lotor, please,” Keith said, dropping his head on the other’s hand. “Leave them alone. I’m not in any danger. I was planning on going back.”

Lotor entwined his hands with the other and led him onto the spaceship. The rest of the Galra assembled into lines following them out, and then the spaceship was gone. Leaving only the torn cars and cracked pavement.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dani drew this cute art of them flying and you can see it [here](http://the-squirrel-queen.tumblr.com/post/177269921905/the-crescent-moon-was-ample-from-their-vantage)
> 
> Also, fun fact about this chapter is that the flying scene has a reference to Aladdin.


	5. Chapter 5

Daibazaal was more or less the same as when he had left it: dusty red skies with hot weather during the day and two luminous moons at night. The trip to his home planet was fast and luxurious using the empire’s best. He stayed in his quarters the entire trip back. The darkness of space was familiar along with the smell of fire.

He hadn’t seen Acxa yet, but Kosmo teleported directly to him the moment they landed. Kosmo greeted him by toppling him onto the floor and licking his face. “I missed you too,” Keith said, laughing as he rubbed his fur.

The red castle loomed over him. He felt nervous as he followed the others into the castle. His mother was already waiting for him inside the throne room. Krolia looked the same as when Keith last saw her: a tall figure, imposing in her armor and weapons. Relief washed over her as soon as she saw him, and his mother ran up and squeezed him tight. “I was worried sick.”

“I’m sorry,” Keith replied, as she held on to him. Up close, he could tell she had aged. There were some wrinkles and dark marks under her eyes. “I didn’t mean to make you worry or stress you.”

The Blade of Marmora also ran up and crowded him. Some clapped his back and others even ruffled his hair. Even Kolivan, who tended to be stoic and strict, appeared relieved to see him again. They were a rebel group his mother was a part of and they later became part of the royal guard when they won the war against Zarkon.

“Welcome back, my prince,” Kolivan said, bowing.

Keith’s eyes widened. He stiffened at the reminder of his status. Then all at once the rest of the members bowed too.

“You don’t have to do that,” He said, feeling the back of his neck sweat. Kolivan was practically an uncle to him. He was one of the few people Krolia trusted with her life since he fought alongside her in the first war against Zarkon.

“It is your birthright,” Kolivan insisted. The rest of the members nodded. “The Galra who sided with the old empire has agreed to put this fighting at rest, so you need not worry.”

He stared down at him before clapping Keith’s back and leaving to talk to Antok.

As everyone returned to the posts and went to relax, he waited until it was just his mother with him. Krolia sat on the throne as she looked through paperwork.

It was after a few ticks of silence. He couldn’t stop his squirming. “When is the date of the marriage?”  

“Soon.” His mother didn’t look up from what she was reading.

Keith watched her as he stood lingering in the throne room. “Does it have to be Lotor?” Does it have to be me?

Krolia frowned as she put the parchment down. “You know this engagement is the only way to unite the old royal family with the new one and bring peace to our planet.” Her brows creased as his mother inspected him.  “I thought you preferred him.”

Lotor was his childhood friend and they shared a lot of values. This was better than the alternative which was a continuation of the war.

Keith turned away to looked out the window into the courtyard. There were a couple of children playing with swords. If Krolia saw him his emotions would betray everything. She would give up this peace for his happiness.

“Is everything alright?”

“I’m fine, Mom. Just tired.”

 

#### **

 

Shiro spent many days in his room feeling comfort in the enclosed space and surrounded by the dark. The days blurred together and he immersed himself in training when he did feel like leaving. He didn't dare check Keith's room to see it empty of all of his belongings. As if he was never there to begin with.

The punching bag had to be replaced each time Shiro destroyed it. He didn't know what he was angry at. It didn't help that he had super strength so the training room would have to be repaired. He pondered his rage, trying not to allow it to consume him, but he didn't know what to take his frustrations out on without destroying it. He wasn't angry at Keith, but he couldn't understand why this had to happen. Maybe he was being selfish.

Why didn't he mention he was engaged? Shiro was so sure that moment on the beach meant something. Allura benched him from missions. Her reasons were that he was getting too aggressive and reckless and that the rest of his friends agreed.

The rest of the team didn't say anything about Keith. From avoiding saying his name or any allusion he was ever on the team. At least in Shiro's presence anyway. When he entered the room, they would hush up if they were talking about him or Keith. Like he couldn’t hear them anyway. Sometimes the team would whisper about Keith and Shiro would have to actively tune them out.

"You need to get over this," Shiro told himself. "He's gone. Daibazaal will finally be at peace. It's for the greater good."

Shiro noticed footsteps approaching. He wondered if they were listening in the entire time. Most of them stopped outside the door, but only one person stepped inside. The person who walked inside the training room was light on her feet. Allura.

"We’re worried about you," she said, holding her hands in front of her chest. "I miss Keith too. I understand he did not mean to leave us so soon and there may be circumstances we do not know about."

She didn't even like Keith for most of his stay here.

"We know you are hurting with Keith gone. I did not treat him well for some of his time here, but you don't have to be alone."

Shiro leaned against the wall. The cold cooling his skin. Allura took a step toward him and sat beside him, crossing her legs.

“You can all stop eavesdropping.”

The door slid open and the rest of their friends entered and sat around him. Matt and Shay had the decency to look ashamed, unlike the others.

"We should all go on a mission to see him," Lance said.

"We could use Keith's ship to fly us back to space,” Pidge explained. “There’s still enough fuel and Allura has the maps to Daibazaal.”

"He doesn’t need to be saved," Shiro said. “He made his choice. We can’t force him to come back.”

"You have to confess to him so at least he’ll get another choice right?" Hunk asked. "That you like him right? I thought that he liked you too."

Shiro opened his mouth about to protest but then stopped. Maybe Hunk was right; Keith connected to him faster than anyone had in a long time.

"At least then you could gain some closure," Lance agreed, "and we can say goodbye if we never see him again."

His guts twisted at the thought but as Shiro clenched his fist he took a breath and released them. Matt placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm alright," Shiro said, feeling annoyed. He was grateful, but he wished they would mind their own business. "Thank you for checking in on me. We don’t have to go all the way to Daibazaal for me."

“You may want to go if you know Zarkon’s involved,” Pidge said, pulling open their laptop. Shiro’s eyes widened and he whipped his head to them, questioning. “He’s planning an attack on Daibazaal. At first, I thought it was a weapon against Earth, but he used you to get resources to get off of Earth.”

“We contacted Batman and he approved the mission too,” Matt explained. “We need to stop Zarkon before he becomes a bigger threat and we may need these allies in the future.”

“But who will defend the city?”

Allura placed a gentle hand on his wrist. “Earth has many heroes. They’re assigning some in our area to make up for our absence. Don’t worry.”

Shiro closed his eyes processing all of the information. He stood up and felt determination wash over him. “Let’s go to Daibazaal and stop Zarkon.”

He opened his eyes to see them all looking up at him and grinning back. They rushed to prepare and packed their supplies for the trip. Daibazaal was years away from Earth, but that was only with Earth’s current technology. Hunk, Matt, and Pidge reassured him it would be much quicker with the mods they made.

As everyone was getting ready, Shiro finally had the courage to enter the familiar corridor that led to Keith’s room. His room had the same architecture and design as their rooms. The decoration was just like the other guest bedrooms, but they gave him starry blankets and drapes since Keith never got around to decorating. The wooden floors felt cold as he entered. The closet was empty. The bed was perfectly made. Everything that indicated he was ever here was gone. Even the few souvenirs from their trips together like movie tickets stubs were gone.

He wondered if Keith took it with him to look back at their memories together. He must have been planning to leave. It was nice being with Keith since whenever he looked at him he wasn’t reminded of who he wasn’t. He knew nothing of Superman or who Shiro once was. There were no expectations. He hoped going there was the right answer. If anything they’d stop Zarkon.

 

#### **

 

They were preparing for a royal banquet with other foreign diplomats to reassure the status of a stable Daibazaal and usher in a new era for the Galra. Keith was dressed in traditional silk clothing adorned with jewelry. He sat still for hours while the servants attended to his hair and grooming. He frowned as one tugged at a knot in his hair.

For years he had been an illegitimate royal member that these sudden luxuries and praise confused him. Since his birth, the Galra of old who sided with Zarkon had only accepted Lotor’s legitimacy, causing clashing and bloodshed among them. Peace was so foreign to Galra, but it was much better than the alternative of suffering and death. He wondered how he would fight in a fabric so fine and constricting. He tried moving his arms a bit, but it seemed like the cloth might tear. Keith wouldn’t need to fight on Daibazaal or he wouldn’t get the chance to like on Earth. Most of his Earth belongings remained stuffed in his closet.  

There was a knock on the door.

The servant who opened the door gasped. "Your majesty," one servant said, bowing. The rest bowed as well.

Lotor was also dressed for the occasion banquet. He grinned as he observed Keith sitting by the vanity. "You've done fantastic work. You are dismissed."

"Thank you, your majesty." The attendants left the room to give the two privacy.

"You look lovely," he commented.

Keith grunted, "Thanks."

They would get married in a week. Keith knew at some point if the regime continued he would probably get married for some sense of alliance to another country, but for it to happen was another matter. In normal circumstances, he wouldn’t even know the person. He liked Lotor a lot. In many ways, he would have been lucky that it was a good friend. Before Keith would have been relieved.

He didn’t flee Daibazaal to escape his engagement since the outcome was not the worst. When there were rumors of their expected engagement and a potential end to the war, Keith realized his time would vanish. It would be his last opportunity for adventure, for finding his father, and for any time to himself.   

Lotor placed a flower in his hair. Keith laughed. "Seriously?"

"I know it's not your taste, but you are exquisite." He held Keith’s hands in his.

"Lotor," Keith said, he felt tears forming and he tried to stop them before they actually fell. It would be selfish to indulge in self-pity. "I don't think I can go through with this."

"Do you miss Earth that much?" Lotor asked. It was like a sudden screech to one of Earth’s records before stopping. Keith fiddled with the sleeves of his robes.

Lotor sat down on the sofa across from him waiting.

Keith shook his head. "Earth is odd. It's very primitive in technology and the weather is too inconsistent.” He paused trying to stop the tensions in his hands and then continued. “But I can understand why my mother was fascinated with the planet."

"So it was the people there," Lotor deduced, tapping his fingers. "It was the man I fought. The hero."

Keith didn't respond. Another bull's eye.

“He helped me,” Keith said, simply. “He saw me as his equal despite knowing my parentage and my lack of powers.”

“I have never considered your value less because of that,” Lotor said. And that was true, his childhood friend never looked down on him even though Keith appeared less Galra than other half-Galra or because he didn't display the simplest of powers. Keith didn’t respond and joyful chatter of the banquet filled the room. "I cherish your happiness. Just go through with the marriage and if you must you may visit Earth."

He admired Lotor’s sense of duty to the Galra. Keith wasn’t sure if he could abandon his responsibilities a second time. Would they even be able to forgive him for all of his deceptions?

In a week, the celestial comet would return and bless all unions. A good time for matrimonies and promises so they may be fruitful and last forever.

 

#### **

 

On the morning of the wedding, his mother greeted him already prepared for the day. She kissed his forehead as he awoke.

“Mom, stop,” Keith said, pretending to be embarrassed. She sat smiling softly at him on the edge of the bed letting her hand linger on his hair. Krolia looked elegant dressed up in her finest robes.

“I’m proud of you.”

“Really?” Keith wasn’t so sure after his disappearing act.

She hugged him. “I’ll always be proud of you. Even if you don’t go through with this.” Keith’s eyes widened as he glanced at her in question. “Lotor told me. You weren’t just looking for your father. It made sense thinking back on everything you did.”

Keith pulled away from her embrace as Kosmo zapped onto the spot between them. He patted the fur on his wolf. “Daibazaal’s stability and half-Galra rights are important to me.”

“I have a gift for you.” She took off the necklace underneath her robes and slid a gold ring off of the chain to him. It had glimmering red and purple stones on it. “Your father gave that to me. I want you to have it.”

He held the jewelry in his palm. As a child, Keith flooded his mother with questions about his father and Krolia tried to answer the best that she could. This could be the last remaining piece of him. “But—”

“I’m sure he would have liked to be here for your nuptial,” Krolia said, her fingers threading in his hair again. “I’m sure he would have been proud of how brave you are.”

Keith beamed at her as he clutched the jewelry in his hand. “I love you, Mom.”

“I love you too,” she replied, lingering on him before standing up. “I’ll see you at the ceremony.” Krolia left leaving the door open for his attendants to enter. She had to talk to the other servants planning the wedding and make sure everything was in order.

They took hours for him to get ready, but since he was getting used to the treatment it was less painful. Kosmo wasn’t allowed in the room in case he drooled on any of their hard work. He felt bad hearing his wolf whine. Acxa had visited him as they were grooming him. She looked lovely in her shimmery blue robes. She chuckled at the face he was making.

As Acxa left to meet Ezor and Zethrid, she whispered in his ear, “Good luck.”

Keith was dressed in scarlet silk robes with ivory accents. He wore a gold sash around him with his family's crest on it. The servants had spent hours touching up his hair and face that he felt nervous to touch either. His hair was tied in a low ponytail with braids on each side. To top off his outfit, he wore a crown adorned with gold flowers.

Before the ceremony would begin, Lotor had to meet with his family which consisted of his mother and himself. After in normal ceremonies, he would meet with Lotor’s family, but since Zarkon was a criminal and absent that part would be skipped. They would mingle with everyone and greet each guest since there were many diplomats present, and then the two would proclaim their vows to each other in front of them all.

When Keith was ready, he waited for Lotor to greet him in the throne room with his mother. They were surrounded by family and friends. Even Kolivan wasn’t wearing any of his usual armor, but he spotted a blade concealed at his belt. As Lotor entered the throne room, his close friends followed behind him. He wore indigo robes with sangria-colored embroidery and his own family’s silver sash. Instead of a crown, he wore his father's military helmet.

Lotor bowed and kissed his mother’s hand. Krolia acknowledged his greeting, nodding to him. She had known Lotor since he was an infant because he was raised along with Keith. He grinned when he saw Keith and kissed the knuckles of his hand too. Some of their friends laughed at the display. Keith nodded back to him and allowed him to lead them to the great hall where the rest of the reception and ceremony would begin.

Most of the guests were already seated, but all sat up and clapped as they entered. The great hall was decorated with flowers of every color and lanterns lit up the ceiling. The wide windows were perfect to see the comet return.

They sat down at the center stage which was higher in altitude where everyone could see them. The rest of his friends and families took their seats or mingled with the other guests. Many diplomats greeted them to send their congratulations and gifts. Some of the guests were lucky citizens who were delighted to witness the royal wedding.

Keith grew tired as he kept up a smile for each person.

He noticed someone moved behind and tap his back. "Your friends are here," Ezor whispered.

Zethrid grunted in confirmation.

Keith's eyes widened. He looked across the hall and saw his team. They stood out from the purple Galra and other aliens. The team all wore fancy clothes for the event. Keith wasn't sure what he wanted them to feel. He betrayed their trust.

Allura was dissecting him from where she sat with Lance. He didn’t doubt if she was angry. She never liked him to begin with because of the decades-old conflict about bad blood between Altea and Galra. It hurt to see that contempt on her face after they were slowly gaining each other’s trust. Matt was schmoozing with the women there. Pidge was inspecting the technology. Shay sat at a dinner table with Hunk trying the food. And Shiro, well he was gazing back at Keith.

Keith felt his heart increase a few beats.

"They won't be a problem will they?" Zethrid asked. The two would surely take care of it if it became one.

Keith gulped and slowly shook his head.

Lotor took his hand in his and squeezed it. There were only a couple foreign dignitaries left that wanted to greet them. “You can talk to him if you wish.”

What would he even say? His hands felt clammy. He hoped he didn’t sweat off the make up his attendants put on him.

As the last alien gave their gift and wished them well, Keith noticed Shiro wasn’t where he last saw him. He wasn’t sure if he was disappointed or not. Lotor left to talk to Acxa in the corner and he walked awkwardly around the room talking with anyone who hadn’t had the chance yet.

Someone grabbed his arm just as he was about to find his mother or any of his friends.

Grey eyes stared back at him. Shiro. He was dressed in a black tuxedo, which was Earth formal wear. “You look good.” Keith’s brows creased. He could say the same about him.

“Do you want to talk outside?” He glanced at the balcony which was empty and would give them some privacy.

As they were heading toward there, he noticed his mother with Kosmo. She was keeping him on a leash and clinking drinks with Kolivan and other Blade of Marmora members. As she downed the liquid, the glass slipped from her hand and shattered, and then she suddenly collapsed on the ground.

The guests shrieked and a crowd formed around her.

Keith let go of his friend’s hand and rushed toward his mother but then there was another explosion from the center of the room. Some of the guests were being led out of the hall and some of the servants and attendants began attacking the Blade members.

As the smoke cleared away, most of the guests had fled. Kolivan was by his mother’s side with an arm wrapped around her.

“She’s fine,” he said, as he carried her. “I will take her to the medic. Flee, my prince. We’ll talk more when this is all over.”

A few more soldiers were still fighting. He glanced around and noticed Shiro and the rest of his Earth friends were missing. He ran up to Kosmo who teleported him into his quarters. There he discarded his formal robes and changed into his Earth costume and grabbed his blade. The wolf followed him back into the chaos.

As he headed out the door, Lotor flew in to intercept his path. “Where are you going? It’s dangerous out there. Zarkon and the witch returned.”

“To find my friends and protect my people,” Keith said, challenging him. Their eyes were locked on one another before Lotor relented and shifted his gaze to the end of the hallway.   

“Fine, but I’m coming with you. I think I know where they might be.”

 

#### **

 

He followed Lotor into the mines of Daibazaal. Everyone was fighting above ground and there were some who took refuge in the castle while Kolivan and other Blade of Marmora members fortified it. Lotor had a hunch where Zarkon was hiding and where he might have taken his friends. The crystal mines was where Zarkon met Haggar when he was Emperor and she went by Honerva. The area held sentimental value, but the crystals were also a source of power.

“Why haven’t you told Kolivan where he is yet?”

His friend glared at him as they avoided more guards. They couldn’t be too careful about whose side they were on. “Because they’re my parents,” Lotor emphasized the word parents with disgust. “I should be the one to fix the problem they’ve caused.”

They walked in silence. Kosmo helped to teleport them away whenever a guard patrolling got close. The mines were abandoned due to how volatile it was from the mining of the past. The path up ahead was lit up with yellow lights and as they approached further he could hear someone screaming.

It was Shiro and a Galra who was trying to chain him. None of his other Earth friends were around though, but he seemed to be faring well with the amount of unconscious surrounding him. So far the guard only managed to get one cuff on his arm.

Keith turned to him, and Lotor placed an arm on his shoulder. “Take care of your hero. I’ll go on without you. Stay safe. I’ll take care of my father.”

The guard was getting frustrated and one Galra had a laser gun aimed at him.

"Shiro," Keith cried as he took off. He felt his fist glow hot and a violet glow surrounding his arms. It resembled the energy from starbolts. He shot the blast of energy forward like he had seen Lotor do before.

He aimed one starbolt at the laser gun, injuring his hand and flinging the gun across the ground. Keith threw the other at the guard who was trying to capture Shiro. He ducked out of the way and the metal on his chains melted from the impact.

“Your powers,” Shiro gasped. “Your eyes.”

Keith looked down at his glowing hands again. He looked at the crystals and saw his reflection. His eyes glowed a pure purple. It felt instinctual and as natural as breathing. Not like any of the theories Keith had read.  

He kneeled before Shiro and helped him up. He was still gasping for air. Keith was going to say something else, but he embraced him first.

"Keith," he said, drifting over his figure. "You're okay.”

He grinned back. “Of course, I am.”

“Is that a dog?"

Shiro smiled as he scratched around Kosmo’s ears. “This is Kosmo. He’s a cosmic wolf actually.”

Kosmo barked and nuzzled Shiro and he knelt down to greet him.

Keith observed the casualties around them. The Galra were still alive but would have to be tried for conspiring against the empire and working with Zarkon. “We never got around to talking back at the ceremony,” Keith said, turning to his friend. “Not that I’m not glad to see you, but what are you doing here?"

"I found out Zarkon and Hagger were planning a coup d'etat."

“Where is everyone else? Did Zarkon capture them too?”

Shiro shook his head. “They’re still battling Zarkon’s army, but I stayed behind to find you. I didn’t know you would be the one saving me instead.”

They followed Lotor’s direction. There were more screaming and they tried to stop each fight and free any of the prisoners. Kosmo helped move the injured into the medical wing and then teleport back to them. They heard a rumble as parts of the mines shook and followed the sound. Keith noticed he could keep up with Shiro’s speed.

Allura, Lotor, Zarkon, and Haggar were all battling against each other. Pidge was clutching their side and Matt was attending to their wounds. Hunk was protecting the siblings from any incoming fighters. Lance had corralled most of the attackers and Shay was trying to keep the mines from collapsing.

Zarkon and Haggar looked much like the images Keith saw of them. Zarkon wore his imperialistic armor and was much larger than the average Galra. Haggar mutilated from her alchemy and scarred. Their eyes both glowed eerily and their resemblance to Lotor almost nonexistent. Keith and Shiro landed right next to Allura and Lotor. Keith shot a blast of his starbolt right at Zarkon and he dropped his sword as he fell over. Haggar was able to dodge it and teleported away.

Lotor smirked as he glanced over at his friend. “You have powers. I knew you’d be magnificent.” He ran up to pull his sword against his father, but Haggar reappeared at that moment to block him. Lotor’s blade slicing her hand. They shot energy blasts at each other at the same time, causing more smoke and crystals to fall.

As Shiro tried to contain Zarkon in his arms, his grip on him almost faltered as the ground beneath him shook. Shay looked like she was about to faint. “Can someone get them to stop?” Shiro asked. Keith grabbed the chains Hunk built and tried to tie Zarkon up.  

Haggar held her arms up. It looked like she was draining energy from the mines. Allura flew to Lotor’s side as they used their own magic to shoot at the same time, but she disappeared.

“I think we should take him to my mother before she returns.”

Lotor nodded and Hunk kept the chains tight as he grabbed Zarkon and teleported away with Kosmo. Haggar reappeared but in that same moment Kosmo and Hunk disappeared and Keith shot bolts of violet energy from his eyes right at the spot where she reappeared.

Her arm was bleeding and the blast had taken her shoulder. Haggar glared at them, looking at the odds stacked against her.

“You,” she shrieked, glaring directly at Shiro. “You’ll pay for this.” She moved her hand his prosthetic radiated green and shattered. He screamed and fell on his knees, clutching where his arm met the metal. Keith ran to his side helping him.

Before she could flee, Lotor flung his blade at her and Allura’s eyes glowed crystal blue as she touched Haggar’s forehead. She howled and crumbled into submission.

She was alive, but as she tried to teleport or use her powers against them nothing happened. They tried to stop any fights they found on the way back to the medical wing. Keith’s hands remained entwined with Shiro as he led them all the way back to the castle.

 

#### **

 

When they got back, Kolivan had secured Zarkon in a cell that dampened powers and Haggar was thrown in another cell far away. The Galra on Zarkon’s side were being captured still, but most were surrendering because their leaders were taken down.

The wedding was canceled due to the coup and Zarkon and Haggar’s impending trial. A new peace treaty would have to be drafted, but the Galra were still recovering from the fight. Most of the diplomats that arrived were fine and pleased they could try them for the crimes against their planets.

Keith’s mother was still recovering, but when she awoke she greeted them and offered rooms in the castle. As the events calmed down, Shiro and his friends got the grand tour of the castle and were introduced to Keith’s friends, Acxa and Lotor. Allura was becoming comfortable being around other Galra. She was even planning on attending the trial to testify against Zarkon and Haggar for the crimes against her people. Pidge, Matt, and Hunk were trying the food and testing the technology. Shay and Lance were in the libraries trying to figure out the nuances in alien culture.

There was a topic they danced around, but Shiro found himself red any time he thought about bringing it up.

With Keith's new powers, Shiro noticed he was stronger than before too. They often sparred in the courtyard of the castle which was where most of the other Galra battled. They tried to test the strength and the limits of his abilities. Keith was good at dodging and evading his attacks and knocked Shiro down a couple of times while he used his full strength. He was stronger than before and they discovered that he could lift Shiro with one hand.

The Galra were more amazed by his ability to produce starbolts from his hands and eyes. Kolivan explained that starbolts were a rare ability that only he, Krolia, Lotor, and Keith were currently known to have. The irises of his eyes stopped glowing when he wasn’t using the ability.

Many bodyguards and attendants tried to rush to Keith’s side whenever he was knocked down. Keith waved them off when he began training again. It was hard to evade most of the servants or bodyguards that tried to follow the two when they wanted to be alone.

They flew off together early that morning before anyone might be awake.

"So what made it click?" he asked, as Keith offered a hand to help him up. They were nearby one of the mountains that overlooked the area. It held a scenic view of the silver sands, the red castle and nearby town.

"Maybe it was you," Keith answered. His face darkened at that admission and Shiro suddenly remembered their moment by the beach. Then he continued, "You know you and the rest of the team. All of the great experiences on Earth. My mother said that happiness is tied deeply to the source of our powers. That and our emotions."

"Were you not happy?" Shiro asked concerned.

The other seemed somber. "I was not unhappy," Keith replied, after a moment of thought. "There were wars for years and my mom tried to be around but she was absent in my life, and I knew nothing of my dad. I wasn't acknowledged as a prince, but I still lived comfortably in the castle and I didn't have to take part in the war.”

Keith turned to glance at him. “When I saw you were in trouble, all I could think about was saving you.”

He contemplated that answer. There were many times on Earth when they were fighting that his friend had his back. That unspoken question drifted into Shiro’s mind again.

“Kolivan said your new arm is going to be finished.”

Shiro was still being fitted for the new arm. It was silver and sleek and felt better than his old prosthetic, which hung heavy and made his distribution of weight uneven. The only drawback was that it revealed the loss of his limb to the public. His hair was turning white again, looking like an ombre from the black dye. Shiro touched his hair as he thought about it.

Keith grinned as he observed him. “You should keep it like that. White looks good.”

“Does it?” He tilted his head in thought of the compliment. Perhaps it was time to start anew.

The impending date of his new arm and the trial signaled the end of their time on Daibazaal.

“We’ll be leaving soon.” Shiro knew he couldn’t ask him to return or even be with him. He tried not to look saddened so it wouldn’t influence Keith’s choice.

His friend stiffened at the reminder. “I know.”

“We’ll miss you.” I’ll miss you.

“I will too.” Keith began to shift his weight from his tiptoes and fall back down on the heel of his feet.

“We know you have priorities here and then there’s Lotor.”

“Yes, I might be very busy.”

Shiro knew he should just ask.

Keith said something first, so quiet that he almost didn’t hear it. “I can visit you, right?” His voice was almost afraid.

“There’s always a place with you back on Earth,” Shiro replied. Truly meaning it as he gazed into the other’s eyes.

“Thank you,” Keith said, hugging him. He pulled away from him, his cheeks dark again, but he was still close enough that Shiro could hear feel his heartbeat against him. There it was again. That funny feeling of warmth and jitter that spread through his being.

The light from the sun grew brighter and Shiro heard a few servants and bodyguards scurry to find the missing prince.

“They’re looking for you.”

Keith groaned at the reminder. “I better go back then.” He started to fly back to the castle, but then stopped and peered back at him. “Are you coming with me?”

He waved his hand. “I’m going to hang tight for a bit.”

"Hang, what?"

"You can go on without me."

“Okay.” And this time, he flew straight back to the castle.

Shiro watched his silhouette grow smaller as the distance between them increased, and he was reminded of the distance between their galaxies.

 

#### **

 

There were guards posted at the door to the medic wing. They moved aside and bowed noticing him. Some patients were still recovering inside. Many of the doctors were still rushing around for medicine or food. The local hospital housed patients with more extreme cases, but rooms were limited. Keith walked down the row of hospital beds to the more private room being protected by Kolivan.

“Should I even ask where you ran off to?” he said as he opened the door.

Keith chuckled. “Then it wouldn’t be a secret.”

His mother sustained some injuries from the toxins, but since she was treated immediately most of the damage had yet to impair internal organs.

The white room was spacious enough for families with a good view of the town. There were many flowers and gifts wishing her for her wellbeing. She was awake and sifting through piles of paperwork. Krolia put her pen down and smiled as she saw him.

“Shouldn’t you be resting?” he asked, sitting down on the sofa next to her.

“Everything needs to be in order for the trial.”

Keith frowned as he watched her. “But that’s no excuse to put your health at risk.”

Krolia put the rest of the paperwork in the folders and fell back on the bed and pillows. “Satisfied?”

“Very,” he said, walking over to her bed and sitting down. He tried to separate his worry for her when finding Zarkon and his Earth friends, but returning and seeing her still in critical condition haunted him. He didn’t want to lose her too.

She fluffed his hair and threaded her fingers in it. “What is on your mind, my jewel?”

“Nothing.”  

“The servants said you were missing again this morning.”

“I was with Shiro.”

His mother had paused at his mention. She was introduced to his new friends but hadn’t gotten to know them for too long. “He and his friends said they were leaving right after the trial.”

“Yes.” Shiro had reminded him that morning.

Krolia moved her hand from his hair to his cheek. “Do you remember the morning of your nuptials?” Keith still wore her ring on a necklace and when he took it off to bathe he thought about her words. “I’ve been thinking it over and it isn’t fair for you not to have a choice. I wish I could have stayed with your father. The new peace treaty will not need your marriage with Lotor.”

This all seemed too good to be true. “But what about my responsibilities?”

“You’re still young and I’m still healthy. When you’re ready to ascend the throne it will be here waiting for you.”

Keith hugged her and Krolia held him tightly, rubbing his back. “Thank you.”

“Don’t forget to call me weekly if you do return to Earth.”

There was a loud tap against the door. Kolivan peered in. “Sorry to interrupt. My prince, there’s someone here for you.”

He opened the door wider to see Shiro.

“Keith,” he said, flustered. “I realized there was still something I wanted to talk to you about.”

He nodded and waited for his friend to continue. His friend was red at the extra set of eyes. “Maybe outside?”

Krolia smiled as he left and followed Shiro into the garden, which was still secluded in the morning. They sat on benches and he waited for Shiro to speak.

After a moment of watching his friend with his eyes closed, he asked, “Is something wrong?”

“I, um,” Shiro began to say and stopped. “We were talking earlier about leaving soon and I care about you a lot and I wanted to know if there’s a future for us. I don’t mind doing long distance, but I know there’s Lotor too.”

He stopped rambling as he noticed Keith’s brows furrowed in confusion. “I might be able to visit. My mother said my duties can wait until I’m ready to ascend the throne and the new peace treaty will not need my marriage with Lotor.”

Shiro sighed. “What I’m trying to say is, I like you in the way we discussed on the beach.”

Oh.

“The second kind of liking?” He could feel his heartbeat increase as Shiro turned red and held his hands. “I feel the same.”

“We should finish where we left off.”

Keith nodded, understanding what he meant, and gazed up shyly at him. His cheeks were hot and he felt vulnerable as he closed his eyes. Shiro leaned down and they kissed. And unlike their first kiss which was swift, this one was warm and tender.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this story. I'm really glad I was able to finish writing this. There was still some things I wanted to get to in the story with Shiro's backstory and Keith's dad, but hopefully, I can finish that another time. If you want, you can come talk to me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/irieora) and [my main nart tumblr](http://abeautifulunfolding.tumblr.com/) or [my side tumblr](https://irieora.tumblr.com/)
> 
>  
> 
> And thanks again to my wonderful artist Dani who drew lovely art for chapter 4. You should check out their art on [twitter](https://twitter.com/DaSquirrelQueen) and [tumblr](http://the-squirrel-queen.tumblr.com/)
> 
> ** I just wanted to make a note since it's been a while and I'm not sure if I'll ever write the continuation of this but Keith's dad didn't die.


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